ALI KASIM
For two Singapore international cricketers, so much was fresh, exciting and ideal as they made their debuts in the Twenty20 Aussie Cricket League in Melbourne last month.
Playing under an invitation from the Canadian Wolves team, C. Surendran and Vinoth Bhaskaran experienced pristine weather conditions when they took the field alongside stars of yesterday such as Sri Lankans Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara and Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad.
Sadly, the pitch at Casey Fields proved to be a stick in the mud – almost literally.
When the Wolves, one of eight teams in the competition that was held from Dec 17 to 24, had to chase 110 runs in their second match, the uneven wicket, said Surendran, made it almost an impossible task.
“It was difficult to hit boundaries because you never knew if the ball was coming high or low,” said Surendran, 33, who opened the batting in two of the three matches.
“Unlike most international matches where the pitch is flat, the wicket in Melbourne was very grassy,” added the Singapore international, who scored 35 runs in total over three matches.
Vinoth, a left-arm spinner and middle-order batter, agreed with the sentiment. “Everything in Melbourne was top class. The tournament was big and well-organised, but the pitch was sadly not up to standards.”
Launched in 2021, the Aussie Cricket League is considered a lower rung enterprise, compared to the Big Bash League, the premier annual Twenty20 tournament Down Under.
The Wolves lost two of their three group matches and did not advance to the semi-finals.
The Indian Tigers won the tournament after they defeated the Sydney Mavericks in the final.
Despite the pitch discrepancies, Vinoth, 33, who plays for Ceylon Sports Club in the local league and has been in the national team since 2018, was pleased with his performances.
He bowled 12 overs across three games, taking two wickets with an economy rate of 3.5.
At one point, Malinga, playing for the Lankan Lions, even praised him on the pitch, much to Vinoth’s delight.
“He said ‘well bowled’ to me after an over. I was happy with my performance. I only allowed one six in three games.
“I also enjoyed bowling during the power play. That was especially fun.”
According to the two cricketers, the Wolves are planning to enter a tournament in Canada in July.
While the pair are yet to receive an official invitation from the team’s management, they are open to their second stint with the side.
“I’ll go if they call me, no problem,” said Surendran, who had to take unpaid leave from work during the Melbourne experience.
Ali Kasim
