TORONTO, Canada (CMC) – Former Guyana skipper Damodar Daesrath is set to make his international debut for Canada in the forthcoming ICC Intercontinental limited-over tournament in Scotland. The 30-year-old Daesrath, who captained Guyana in seven of his 16 first-class games, said he had been waiting for the opportunity since taking up residence here five years ago and was anxiously looking forward to the tournament.
“I (am) extremely delighted to be named in Canada’s senior team for the first time and I am eager to go out there and make a big impression for them as early as possible,” Daesrath said.
“Having known about my selection, I thought I have justified it after my outstanding performances in Canada.”
Daesrath, who has played for Brampton Masters Cricket Club in the Toronto Elite cricket competition for the past four years, has been a consistent scorer and proved his all-round capability by picking up wickets with his gentle medium pace.
“I love playing cricket in Canada. The standard is very good and I can truly compare it to inter-county cricket tournament in Guyana which I think is very competitive,” Daesrath explained.
“I have been captaining Brampton Masters for the past two years and it is always wonderful to play among some international cricketers.”
Cognisant of the fact that Canada’s cricket still languishes at the bottom of the ICC table, Daesrath nevertheless feels they can make a big impact against the hosts against whom they open their campaign on July 4 in Glasgow.
“It will be a challenging experience for my first outing with Canada but I think I am prepared and equipped to meet the high demand on the international scene,” the right-hander said.
“Yes, Canada’s cricket has been ups and downs but we have improved game by game and another exposure like this should bring more confidence to the side.”
Daesrath will be joined by fellow Guyanese-born fast bowler Jeremy Gordon, who made his debut for Canada last year in the annual WICB Regional T20 tournament.