TORONTO, Canada — Twenty-three-year-old Naveed Akhtar Ali from Cornelia Ida Sports Club, West Demerara has been making a name for himself in the Canadian cricket circuit over the past two years.An all-rounder, who also plays for the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) First Division team, Ali made his debut for Civic Sports Club in the Toronto & District First Division in 2014 and also represented Elmbank in the Brampton Etobicoke District Cricket Association in the Elite League and Ambassadors in the Scarborough Cricket Association First Division.
In 2014, Ali tallied 298 runs and captured 27 wickets from 18 games and was rewarded by the SCA for picking up six for 26. He also had the distinction of claiming a hat-trick in another five-wicket haul, helping Ambassadors top the conference, thereby qualifying for the Premier League in 2015
Apart from turning out for Ambassadors and Elmbank again in the 2015 season, Ali also ventured into the softball arena, representing Wakenaam Sports Club in the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL).
Ali, who has since returned to Guyana, pointed out that during the 2015 season, he played in five different competitions across three leagues with his teams managing to reach three finals, winning two titles, qualifying for one semi-final and also a quarter-final.
Ali scored 155 in the Elite League for an average of 38.7 while in the SCA he totalled 251 runs from 10 innings with two fifties and a highest score of 67. He also bagged 17 wickets.
Playing mainly as a bowler in the OSCL, he captured 12 wickets from eight games, including a best of three for 19 against Dant in quest to compete in the grand final.

(Frederick Halley)