You might not usually think of cricket as a winter sport, but some young Calgarians are enjoying playing it during the holiday season school break.
They’re taking their wickets, bats and balls, and setting them up for practices on the indoor soccer fields at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.
“We’re beginners right now,” 12-year-old Shoab Mohammed explained. “We’re going to get better each time we come here.”
And while many Canadian sports fans are glued to their screens watching the World Junior Hockey Championships in Finland, the cricketers are eagerly anticipating a major international tournament for their sport.
When it begins in March in India, the big time difference will making watching games live a challenge.
“If it’s after midnight, then definitely you have to wake up and watch,” team manager Nasir Khan said. “This is called ‘cricket craziness’.”
The young players will continue indoor practices throughout the winter.
“The fun thing is, when you get to bat, it builds up your confidence,” Mohammed said. “And when you hit it, you feel courage, that you’ll play good in cricket.”