Here is the problem. We have had talented junior players through the years, the names above contain a number of talented players. Here is the Red Stripe team, which I don't dispute is the best team the selectors could have taken, I have noted with an U-19 those that have played age group cricket for Canada.
Fazil Satteur
Abdool Samad (U-19)
Joe Harris
Melvin Croning
Austin Codrington
Ashish Bagai (U-19)
Ashish Patel
Davis Joseph
Sanjay Thurasingham
Asif Mulla (U-19)
Ishwar Maraj
Ian Billcliff
Jon Davison
Desmond Chumney
Barry Seebaran (U-19)
Note that only 4 out of the 14 going to the Red Stripe played junior cricket for Canada. This is a PROBLEM, no other country at our level is this dependant on immigrants. I imagine that the numbers for Scotland, Ireland Denmark and Holland would be much higher, in fact I predict that all of their players would have played age group cricket for them. The problem is twofold. First, the juniors don't feel that they will ever get into the Canadian team and second if they aren't good enough then we aren't doing a good enough job of bridging the gap between junior and senior cricket. Where are those Canadian raised players from the late 80's and early 90's that should now be in the prime of their careers??
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