‘Almost 8 months sitting at home’: Montreal cricket players want indoor facilities

Cricket players from across Quebec came to Montreal this weekend to participate in a pre-season tournament, paving the way for the official league kickoff next week.

“It’s full of entertainment. We have a lot of players, new emerging players,” said Padam Joshi, who plays in Quebec and represents Canada internationally.

“This is our Champion T10 tournament.”

The tournament, organized by an independent body in collaboration with Quebec Cricket Federation, took place Saturday and Sunday at the at Atwater cricket field.

It featured 10 teams, with Adastrians and the Yuvis Warriors going head-to-head in the final.

Montreal’s cricket community is calling for more indoor facilities to provide space for them to play cricket during the colder months.

“Everybody waited almost eight months sitting at home not playing cricket,” Subrata Mandal, treasurer of the Quebec Cricket Federation, told CityNews. “There are no facilities that they can play during the wintertime. They have a proper facility in Montreal, only one in Atwater, this ground, and that’s why they were eager to play.”

Added Khurram Shahzad, a member of organizing committee with the Quebec Cricket Federation: “It’s a beginning. We want to expand it and we want to bring it to another level and make the things in a better way. To improve the facility. To improve the quality of cricket.”