Copa Liga América

[ved_]

Round 1.1: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Miles Buesst & Mike Soulsby
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Siri & Tomas Francis
St George's (VC the slogger) - Dirk Sutherland & David Hemp
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ashish Bagai & Henry Osinde
George Town (Matt121) - Steve Gordon & Gregory Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Steve Massiah & Aditya Mishra
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Matt Featherstone & Greigor Caisley
Paramaribo (pallu) - David Crisp & Vishual Singh
 
Round 1.2: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nadeem Ahmed & Simon Shalders
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Matias Paterlini & Lucas Paterlini
St George's (VC the slogger) - Glenn Blakeney & Lionel Cann
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Jimmy Hansra & Rizwan Cheema
George Town (Matt121) - Abali Hoilett & Pearson Best
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -Sushil Nadkarni & Steven Taylor
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Donovan Matthews & Rohan Ash
Paramaribo (pallu) - Benjamin Smith & Saeed Kara 
 
Round 1.3: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Tristan Bradbrook & Suresh Kumar
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Hamish Barton & Alejo Tissera
St George's (VC the slogger) - Kevin Hurdle & Rodney Trott
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Khurram Chohan & John Davison
George Town (Matt121) - Kevin Bazil & Mario Ford
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Carl Wright & Ryan Corns
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Rubabul Islam & Douglas Brown
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Abdullah Nawab & Troy Dudnath
 
Round 1.4: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Guan Ding Yi & Javed Iqbal
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) -Pablo Ryan & Hernan Fennell
St George's (VC the slogger) - George O'Brien & Janeiro Tucker
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Sunil Dhaniram & Balaji Rao
George Town (Matt121) - Marlon Bryan & Troy Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Muhammad Ghous & Elmore Hutchinson
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Kirton Sutton & Rudyard Hartmann
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Shazam Ramjohn & Radjeev Jagroep
 
Round 1.5: 1 Player from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nicholas Appelyard
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Collins
St George's (VC the slogger) - Irving Romaine
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Harvir Baidwan
George Town (Matt121) - Alessandro Morris
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Tarun Sharma
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Henry Saunders
Paramaribo (pallu) - Carlton Baker
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
Round 2: 1 Americano (Ordered)
Lima (RPHKR) - Grant Dugmore
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Jehan Mubarak
Paramaribo (pallu) - Timil Patel
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Dean Minors
George Town (Matt121) - Ruvindu Gunasekera
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Dwayne Leverock
St George's (VC the slogger) - Neil McGarrell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Lennox Cush
 
Round 3: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Imran Awan & Errion Charles
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Parth Desai & Oswald Sam Arthur
St George's (VC the slogger) - Geoff Barnett & Ryan Bovell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ainsley Hall & Irfan Tarajia
George Town (Matt121) - Aditya Thyagarajan & Vishwar Shaw
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - INVALID & INVALID
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Dion Stovell & Manny Aulakh
Paramaribo (pallu) - Keneil Irving & Esteban Nino
 
Round 4: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Steven Outerbridge & Narendra Ekanayake
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Guilherme Lefevre & Tony Sanford
St George's (VC the slogger) - Yasir Patel & Tushar Gupta 
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Dwight Weekly & Conroy Wright 
George Town (Matt121) -
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - 
Paramaribo (pallu)

 

[Aislabie]

Round 1.1: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Miles Buesst & Mike Soulsby
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Siri & Tomas Francis
St George's (VC the slogger) - Dirk Sutherland & David Hemp
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ashish Bagai & Henry Osinde
George Town (Matt121) - Steve Gordon & Gregory Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Steve Massiah & Aditya Mishra
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Matt Featherstone & Greigor Caisley
Paramaribo (pallu) - David Crisp & Vishual Singh
 
Round 1.2: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nadeem Ahmed & Simon Shalders
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Matias Paterlini & Lucas Paterlini
St George's (VC the slogger) - Glenn Blakeney & Lionel Cann
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Jimmy Hansra & Rizwan Cheema
George Town (Matt121) - Abali Hoilett & Pearson Best
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -Sushil Nadkarni & Steven Taylor
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Donovan Matthews & Rohan Ash
Paramaribo (pallu) - Benjamin Smith & Saeed Kara 
 
Round 1.3: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Tristan Bradbrook & Suresh Kumar
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Hamish Barton & Alejo Tissera
St George's (VC the slogger) - Kevin Hurdle & Rodney Trott
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Khurram Chohan & John Davison
George Town (Matt121) - Kevin Bazil & Mario Ford
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Carl Wright & Ryan Corns
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Rubabul Islam & Douglas Brown
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Abdullah Nawab & Troy Dudnath
 
Round 1.4: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Guan Ding Yi & Javed Iqbal
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) -Pablo Ryan & Hernan Fennell
St George's (VC the slogger) - George O'Brien & Janeiro Tucker
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Sunil Dhaniram & Balaji Rao
George Town (Matt121) - Marlon Bryan & Troy Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Muhammad Ghous & Elmore Hutchinson
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Kirton Sutton & Rudyard Hartmann
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Shazam Ramjohn & Radjeev Jagroep
 
Round 1.5: 1 Player from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nicholas Appelyard
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Collins
St George's (VC the slogger) - Irving Romaine
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Harvir Baidwan
George Town (Matt121) - Alessandro Morris
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Tarun Sharma
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Henry Saunders
Paramaribo (pallu) - Carlton Baker
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
Round 2: 1 Americano (Ordered)
Lima (RPHKR) - Grant Dugmore
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Jehan Mubarak
Paramaribo (pallu) - Timil Patel
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Dean Minors
George Town (Matt121) - Ruvindu Gunasekera
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Dwayne Leverock
St George's (VC the slogger) - Neil McGarrell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Lennox Cush
 
Round 3: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Imran Awan & Errion Charles
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Parth Desai & Oswald Sam Arthur
St George's (VC the slogger) - Geoff Barnett & Ryan Bovell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ainsley Hall & Irfan Tarajia
George Town (Matt121) - Aditya Thyagarajan & Vishwar Shaw
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - INVALID & INVALID
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Dion Stovell & Manny Aulakh
Paramaribo (pallu) - Keneil Irving & Esteban Nino
 
Round 4: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Steven Outerbridge & Narendra Ekanayake
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Guilherme Lefevre & Tony Sanford
St George's (VC the slogger) - Yasir Patel & Tushar Gupta 
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Dwight Weekly & Conroy Wright 
George Town (Matt121) -
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Ronald Ebanks & Benjamin Precious
Paramaribo (pallu)

 

[Sulaiman7]

It would be precious if you can randomly select for me . thanks !

 

[RPHKR]

Thanks mate, I promise my full time service after the draft.

 

[El Loco]

Round 1.1: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Miles Buesst & Mike Soulsby
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Siri & Tomas Francis
St George's (VC the slogger) - Dirk Sutherland & David Hemp
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ashish Bagai & Henry Osinde
George Town (Matt121) - Steve Gordon & Gregory Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Steve Massiah & Aditya Mishra
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Matt Featherstone & Greigor Caisley
Paramaribo (pallu) - David Crisp & Vishual Singh
 
Round 1.2: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nadeem Ahmed & Simon Shalders
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Matias Paterlini & Lucas Paterlini
St George's (VC the slogger) - Glenn Blakeney & Lionel Cann
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Jimmy Hansra & Rizwan Cheema
George Town (Matt121) - Abali Hoilett & Pearson Best
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -Sushil Nadkarni & Steven Taylor
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Donovan Matthews & Rohan Ash
Paramaribo (pallu) - Benjamin Smith & Saeed Kara 
 
Round 1.3: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Tristan Bradbrook & Suresh Kumar
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Hamish Barton & Alejo Tissera
St George's (VC the slogger) - Kevin Hurdle & Rodney Trott
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Khurram Chohan & John Davison
George Town (Matt121) - Kevin Bazil & Mario Ford
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Carl Wright & Ryan Corns
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Rubabul Islam & Douglas Brown
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Abdullah Nawab & Troy Dudnath
 
Round 1.4: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Guan Ding Yi & Javed Iqbal
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) -Pablo Ryan & Hernan Fennell
St George's (VC the slogger) - George O'Brien & Janeiro Tucker
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Sunil Dhaniram & Balaji Rao
George Town (Matt121) - Marlon Bryan & Troy Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Muhammad Ghous & Elmore Hutchinson
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Kirton Sutton & Rudyard Hartmann
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Shazam Ramjohn & Radjeev Jagroep
 
Round 1.5: 1 Player from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nicholas Appelyard
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Collins
St George's (VC the slogger) - Irving Romaine
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Harvir Baidwan
George Town (Matt121) - Alessandro Morris
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Tarun Sharma
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Henry Saunders
Paramaribo (pallu) - Carlton Baker
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
Round 2: 1 Americano (Ordered)
Lima (RPHKR) - Grant Dugmore
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Jehan Mubarak
Paramaribo (pallu) - Timil Patel
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Dean Minors
George Town (Matt121) - Ruvindu Gunasekera
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Dwayne Leverock
St George's (VC the slogger) - Neil McGarrell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Lennox Cush
 
Round 3: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Imran Awan & Errion Charles
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Parth Desai & Oswald Sam Arthur
St George's (VC the slogger) - Geoff Barnett & Ryan Bovell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ainsley Hall & Irfan Tarajia
George Town (Matt121) - Aditya Thyagarajan & Vishwar Shaw
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - INVALID & INVALID
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Dion Stovell & Manny Aulakh
Paramaribo (pallu) - Keneil Irving & Esteban Nino
 
Round 4: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Steven Outerbridge & Narendra Ekanayake
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Guilherme Lefevre & Tony Sanford
St George's (VC the slogger) - Yasir Patel & Tushar Gupta 
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Dwight Weekly & Conroy Wright 
George Town (Matt121) -
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Ronald Ebanks & Benjamin Precious
Paramaribo (pallu) - Clay Smith & Ian Bilcliff

 

[El Loco]

Ahead of the second of the Copa Liga Am?rica season, I made my way over to Buenos Aires to have a look at the preperations for the tournament in Argentina.
While the teams have been making arrangments to fill their squads with talent all over the Americas for Season 2, work has also been going on behind the scenes in Argentina to ensure that the Copa is as much a success as, if not better than last time round.

Argentina is among cricket?s most mysterious outposts. A country that speaks Spanish but has a slight majority of citizens with Italian heritage, She has made a name for herself with her barbecued meats, tango, passionate people, the Avenida 9 de Julio, football, suburbs named after generals and wonderful architecture.
They say that Argentines have their eyes pointed at Europe with their feet planted firmly in South America. Certainly Buenos Aires, the capital, is a city with the flavour of the very best Europe has to offer. Having said that, Argentines are proudly South American with a culture and heritage that is individual and ever evolving. Argentina has mastered Britain?s most quintessential sports.
Football, rugby union, tennis, polo and field hockey are part of the culture yet cricket has remained on the fringes, as it is in a lot of associate countries, surviving for sure but never capturing the imagination of the public quite like the other sports, especially football. Historians, particularly those who view everything old with an unhealthy admiration may point to the 1900's and 1930's as Argentine cricket?s best period but that would be underscoring the current squad which is now ranked 22nd in the world and within touching distance of a World Cricket League Division 1 appearance. So things are looking up for cricket in Argentina. It seemed further investigation was required into this elusive cricketing land, which was, until the acceptance of Brazil and Chile into the ICC fraternity, the lone purveyor of the sport in the region.

I interviewed the President of the Argentinean Cricket Association Ricardo Lord to find out more.

Ricardo Lord, the President of the ACA.​

I am directed to a room in the Belagrano Cricket Club where Lord awaits me, we shake hands and I am offered a seat.
El Loco: Hi Ricardo, thank you for having me over to let me interview you about the upcoming season.
Ricardo Lord: No, no, the pleasure is all mine.
EL: So! The Copa Liga Am?rica has now been relocated over to your home country for the Second Season after your emphatic victory in clinching the inagurual title, how did you react after the match?
RL: Well, it was very much a pleasant surprise for us to be able to take the Copa right from under everyone elses noses, we were very much underdogs going in to the tournament but consistent performances from the lads kept us going throughout the season.
EL: You say you were underdogs, and on paper you were, Argentina being the lowest ranked associate out of the top 5 in the Americas, but what I want to know is where did it all click into place? Where did it all go right?
RL: Well, I couldn't really put my finger on a point in the season where our fortunes were suddenly changed and it looked like we might be real contenders. What counted more for us going so far in the tournament was not so much talent, no disrespect to the boys, but spirit going in to matches. This is where I think the manager, Zhuorb, comes in as I don't think anybody else would have been more capable lifting morale like he does. When the pressure was very heated we managed to pull through, which I am very pleased with. But we also owe a lot to our overseas players, worthy of praise are Malinga and Ajinkya. They really were the instrumenters in us winning the Copa, both of them picking the Golden Ball and Bat respectively and Ajinkya Rahane especially, who played a part with the bat in all our victories, he really was a revelation for us last season and he batted of which the likes Argentines have never witnessed before.
EL: Yes, you mention Rahane, what were your initial impressions of him after zhuorb had decided to acquire him in the auctions. Did you expect him to have as much impact as he did? How did you think your overseas players would impact on your season?
RL: To be honest, Rahane isn't really in the same league as the likes of your Gayle's, de Villers's, Jaywardene's and your Shakib's. However, he has proved himself to be a capable batsman at international level, and most recently for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. My thinking was that the overseas players could maybe save us some dignity on the big stage. But how wrong I was! Rahane was consistently performing where his counterparts were not which gave us a massive adavantage in the tournament. Lasith Malinga was also key in our bowling department, he terrorised batting orders like he has done so many times for Sri Lanka and took wickets regularly. But, aside from the Test-cricketers in our side Lucas Paterlini also turned out superbly in our tournament and Matias also, who was responsible with the bat.
EL: It's always good to see associate/affiliate cricket thriving so well in tournaments like this. To what extent do you think the Copa Liga Am?rica has instigated this?
RL: Jaja, I agree. It's always good to see associate and affiliate cricketers, especially in the Americas where there not that much coverage of the game, having the opportunity to prove themselves on a platform like this. The Copa Liga Am?rica I think is an excellent intiative to provide a platform for cricketers from the Americas to play cricket and also have fun in the process. Well done to you El Loco and the Americas Cricket Association, I think you've done a superb job ?Bravo Amigo! ?Muy bien!
EL: Gracias Ricardo Now, I want turn the attention to your preperations in Argentina for the upcoming season. What have you been doing?
RL: A lot has gone on behind the scenes to ensure we have a succesful season as host country. The groundsmen at Belagrano really have been working their socks to maintain the pitch to excellent standard. We also have the Brand Spanking new stadium at which was only finished a few years ago La Plata as a venue which should provide an excellent atmosphere during the season and the finale. Hopefully, we can match the quality of the venues provided by Bolivia last season, especially at La Paz, the highest altitude of a seat of government in the world where the views were breathtaking. The beautiful backdrop at Belagrano, in my opinion, is unforgettable.

Belagrano, the home of Argentinean Cricket.

Groundsmen at Belagrano Athletic Ground.​

Now, I want to know how being the host country will impact on Argentinean Cricket. Who better to answer me on this then Frankie Deges, the media manager?

I met up for a chat with Frankie Deges, the media manager for Argentina Cricket.​

El Loco: How has the Buenos Aires Blasters winning the inagurual Copa Liga Am?rica improved cricket in Argentina, Frankie?
Frankie Deges: It has given us extra money to be able to spend on keeping the pitches in tip top condition come the start of the tournament. But, above all else, it has brought more attention to cricket in Argentina. It has always been overshadowed by other sports here but the national side is always improving, and clinching the title by just a single run emphasises the sense of acheivement and instilled euphoria into everybody who supported Buenos Aires throughout the whole tournament. Hopefully now, people will be more interested in cricket in the Americas and be more fervent in the support for the teams so that cricket can increase in its popularity here.
EL: That's always nice to hear, but what about media coverage of cricket, has that improved?
FD: Oh yes. Most certainly, all over the Americas, people have become more interested in cricket and this tournament. It is really pleasing that a sport like this gets the attention it deserves.
EL: Indeed, thank you for your time, both of you, it's been a pleasure interviewing you.
RL: Not a problem
FD: The pleasure is all ours

I want to focus more now on the Argentina national side. I managed to catch Argentina captain Esteban 'Billy' Macdermott with the Paterlini brothers at a coaching session with some youngsters.

Esteban MacDermott, the Argentina captain.​

El Loco: Argentina performed brilliantly at The World Cricket League Division 3 in Darwin, Australia in 2007. What were the expectations of the team before the tournament?
Esteban Macdermott: We were aiming to win two games in the first round and secure our spot in Division 3. Coming in as the last seeded team, we thought that goal would be hard enough but then once we achieved it we adapted and set ourselves the target of earning promotion to Division 2 and so we did.
EL: How did the pitches and conditions in Australia differ to the ones you are used to at home?
EM: Turf wickets in Argentina are low and slow. We play a big part of our season on artificial wickets too. But they do seam around and also did in Darwin and we made the most of that aspect with our bowling.
EL: From there the next challenge was the Division 2 tournament in Windhoek, Namibia. Obviously the opposition was tougher. Were the players content with the results considering the high quality of the opponents or did they feel as though they had underachieved?
EM: Well, once you get used to winning it is hard to be content walking out of a tournament having won no games. It?s fair to say we played much more experienced opponents in very different conditions to where we come from but still, we think we didn?t play to our potential. Although we came close in a couple of matches we all think we could have done better.
EL: In truth, Argentina was competing against four countries with development programs involving more than 10,000 people. Surely Argentina must increase it?s playing numbers if it is to compete successfully at this level or beyond in the future?
EM: You got that one right. We need to enlarge the base and get as many players as possible to pick from. That would generate a healthy competition with players striving hard to make the team and naturally raising their standards.
EL: How will you achieve this? Are there plans to get more juniors involved in cricket?
EM: Of course there is! We have been working hard over the last couple of years to take cricket to more children around Buenos Aires and other provinces too. But this is a long term plan. Results won?t show immediately.
EL: Are there any emerging youngsters that could possibly make a break into the senior Argentina side?
EM: There actually are some decent players that could be knocking on the door. Augustin Hussain has proved himself to be a capable player. Felipe Nogues has matured over the last couple of years into a responsible wicket-keeper and Lautaro Musiani, who captain the U-15s can bowl some good legbreak, so it does look promising.

Coaching youngsters in a park in Buenos Aires.

Talking tactics with the young'uns​

EL: It has been suggested that cricket in Argentina is brilliantly run, has good facilities and a professional administration but is unwilling to promote the game to the wider community including those not attending private schools and colleges. Is this a fair perception?
EM: I wouldn?t say that. It?s a very complex thing. We are definitely trying to take cricket to the wider community but this can?t be done overnight. We must create a second group of clubs together that can compete against each other and then bring them together with those that have been playing cricket traditionally.
EL: Does the ACA have a plan to include schools from the poorer villas?
EM: Yes. We are looking to develop a relationship with the Ministry of Sport to provide those areas with cricket as an option to get the boys doing sport and preventing them from falling into unhealthy habits.
EL: At the moment there are five main domestic clubs (Lomas, San Albano, Hurlingham, Belgrano and St George?s) plus Rosario who play in the development cup. Not all of Buenos Aires is serviced by a cricket club. Are there plans to create a couple more clubs in the future?
EM: Again yes. But as I said, we need to bring in not one or two, but four or five so they can compete amongst themselves until they have the standard to join the previous five you mentioned.
EL: Perhaps a club could be established in the Tortuguitas area with Bedes Grammar and St George?s North acting as instigating schools . This club could service potential players in the North-Western suburbs of Buenos Aires stretching out to areas like Rosa. Perhaps, also, a club needs to be set up in the South-Western villas of Merlo, Raphael Castillo and Ituzaingo. This would certainly help promote the sport in an untapped area of Buenos Aires?
EM: Sounds like a good idea. But it?s not only a matter of wanting this to happen but also being prepared logistically from the ACA to assist with everything they need to develop. The last thing we want to do is dive into a very optimistic plan and find ourselves unable to assist them correctly and having to then take steps back. We would rather do it slowly but properly.
EL: In recent times, countries such as Canada, Holland, UAE, Malaysia and Morocco, to name a few, have successfully hosted One-Day Internationals between full members. Would a match between, say, for example England and India in Buenos Aires create interest?
EM: It is something we?ve thought of. But to be honest I don?t think the ordinary citizen would be that interested.
EL: How aware of cricket are the Argentine public now days?
EM: Not very aware unfortunately. We still lack cricket on TV and that is a major issue. We are getting some coverage in the newspapers every now and then but there?s still a long way to go.
EL: Tell us a little bit about your home club Lomas and if you can, describe the setting for the ground?
EM: Lomas is one of the most traditional clubs in Argentina. They were founders of the rugby union, cricket and football back in the 1800?s. Is the first football and rugby champion in the country and is 115 years old. The cricket ground has moved from where it was traditionally in 2001 when they laid the artificial hockey pitch (Lomas is the leader in women?s hockey in Argentina) so now we play at the club?s second facility, sharing the place with rugby.
EL: Tell us about your marathon innings of 17 not out from 70 balls against Namibia during the world Cricket League Division 2 tournament?
EM: Well, I went in there after we had lost three of our main batsmen in a rather short space of time and we had the order from our coach to bat through the innings and utilise the 50 overs against quality opposition. So I went in there and tried to consolidate a partnership with Matias (Paterlini), who was at the other end in great form. Then it got a bit personal with some of their (Namibia?s) players so I decided I wasn?t going to get out and would make them field the 50 overs. They weren?t very happy despite their win.
EL: It was in this match that Matias scored Argentina's first ever List A century, how did you feel Matias on achieving such a feat?
Matias Paterlini: Well, I knew we were in trouble after Bernardo (Irgoyen) was caught behind for a duck and wickets continued to tumble around me. But although they by far had the upper hand, I wanted to give as best a display as I could and not go down without a fight, and the skipper parked the bus and stood firm with me while I fought myself to the century.
EL: Esteban, It must have been wonderful watching Matias Paterlini here scoring Argentina?s first ever List A century from the non-strikers end?
EM: It was a real pleasure. He was in total control and had been waiting for a tournament like he had in Namibia for a long time. He works really hard and has enormous talent. It was great to be the one there with him when he achieved his well deserved century.
EL: What would you say is your best memory playing for Argentina?
EM: Well, definitely Darwin will be hard to beat. The semi final against Cayman Islands to whom we had always lost was a special moment. To mention one more I could pick beating the MCC (With Mike Gatting and Andy flower) in 2006. Argentina hadn?t beaten the MCC since 1910.
EL: I trust that you kept tabs on Buenos Aires's run in the Copa Liga Am?rica, what do you think about this new intiative by the Americas Cricket Association?
EM: I think it is fantastic that players such as ourselves can have an opportunity to play in a tournament with publicity such as this. I think it was fantastic to see Associate players having a massive part to play with overseas players in the mix and it was fantastic to see Lucas Paterlini take all those wickets. So glad to see the Argentinean boys lifting the cup, Argentinean Cricket will certainly get a boost from this. The fast pace and pressure of such a tournament, akin almost to something like the IPL is a concept that we just couldn't get a grasp of before.
EL: How would you fancy being drafted in to the Copa Liga Am?rica should one of the teams be interested in you?
EM: I'm not too sure. I would have preferred being drafted in to the team from my home town where I would get on with the players I captain much better. I know the pitches very well as I play on them regularly, so I guess that might be an asset in my home country, but we'd have to see.
EL: Finally, what are your hopes for Argentina cricket in the next 10 years?
EM: We hope we can continue to perform in the international arena and develop the game locally so it becomes a recognised sport at home.
EL: I do hope that you will acheive that one day.
EM: Thank you.
EL: Now Matias, I want to focus on you. You are arguably one of the best ever of home-grown talent in Argentina.
MP: Why thank you, but I wouldn't go so far.
EL: So modest Now, I want the people at home to know a bit more about you, so what are your specialties?

Matias Paterlini is arguably one of the best South American batsmen of modern times.​

MP: I'm a top-order batsman and an off-spin bowler, both right-handed.
EL: Which countries have you played cricket in?
MP: I've been fortunate enough to travel overseas to Australia, South Africa, Namibia New Zealand, England and Malaysia, Chile, Peru. That's one thing I love about playing cricket for Argentina is that you travel around a lot and get to see so much.
EL: How were you introduced to cricket?
MP: Visiting professional Andy Moles introduced the game to me at school when I was 10 years old, and it sort of went from there.
EL: What do you like about cricket the most?
MP:I like everything about cricket, it's a great game. It has also provided me with an opportunity to represent my country, and given me the chance to travel, as I say.
EL: What can be done to make cricket more appealing to Argentines to you think?
MP: Shorter versions of the game would certainly attract people here. Also I think coloured clothing and night cricket would be popular.
EL: Why do you think it is so difficult to get Argentineans to play cricket?
MP: The lifestyle. Everyone is very busy with no time, and most young people have very demanding jobs or study commitments.
EL:What do your non-cricketing Argentine friends think of you playing cricket?
MP:They envy the travelling I have done, and they respect my love of the game, now that they learnt to understand it a bit.
EL:What do you think their impression of the sport is, presuming they have one?
MP:They think it's a bit of a waste of time, it takes too long to play, not like soccer or rugby. They don't have any knowledge of the game, and this is worse here, because we have no cricket on television.
EL:Is there anything particularly unique about Argentinean cricket?
MP:Perhaps the language. Also it is played very passionately here, lots of noise and gestures.
EL:What should be done to spread the game?
MP:Definitely television. That's a big factor. Also in other forms of the media, newspapers, etc, we get very little exposure, and nothing at all on TV. The Copa Liga Am?rica has helped a lot, we also need lots of help from cricketing countries and the ICC. Cricket is easy to introduce here, but very difficult to establish. That needs money and the media. The established cricket countries should get more involved in countries like Argentina to help spread the game, and of course the ICC needs to do everything it can for countries like us in the world.
EL: Thank you for your time, I wish you luck in the upcoming tournament.
MP: No problem, and thanks a lot.

Note: All interviews have been compiled from information sought accross various sources and should not be taken as the exact thing.​

 

[Champagnepapi]

do random picks for me please.

 

[El Loco]

Round 1.1: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Miles Buesst & Mike Soulsby
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Siri & Tomas Francis
St George's (VC the slogger) - Dirk Sutherland & David Hemp
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ashish Bagai & Henry Osinde
George Town (Matt121) - Steve Gordon & Gregory Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Steve Massiah & Aditya Mishra
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Matt Featherstone & Greigor Caisley
Paramaribo (pallu) - David Crisp & Vishual Singh
 
Round 1.2: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nadeem Ahmed & Simon Shalders
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Matias Paterlini & Lucas Paterlini
St George's (VC the slogger) - Glenn Blakeney & Lionel Cann
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Jimmy Hansra & Rizwan Cheema
George Town (Matt121) - Abali Hoilett & Pearson Best
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -Sushil Nadkarni & Steven Taylor
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Donovan Matthews & Rohan Ash
Paramaribo (pallu) - Benjamin Smith & Saeed Kara 
 
Round 1.3: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Tristan Bradbrook & Suresh Kumar
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Hamish Barton & Alejo Tissera
St George's (VC the slogger) - Kevin Hurdle & Rodney Trott
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Khurram Chohan & John Davison
George Town (Matt121) - Kevin Bazil & Mario Ford
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Carl Wright & Ryan Corns
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Rubabul Islam & Douglas Brown
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Abdullah Nawab & Troy Dudnath
 
Round 1.4: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Guan Ding Yi & Javed Iqbal
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) -Pablo Ryan & Hernan Fennell
St George's (VC the slogger) - George O'Brien & Janeiro Tucker
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Sunil Dhaniram & Balaji Rao
George Town (Matt121) - Marlon Bryan & Troy Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Muhammad Ghous & Elmore Hutchinson
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Kirton Sutton & Rudyard Hartmann
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Shazam Ramjohn & Radjeev Jagroep
 
Round 1.5: 1 Player from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nicholas Appelyard
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Collins
St George's (VC the slogger) - Irving Romaine
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Harvir Baidwan
George Town (Matt121) - Alessandro Morris
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Tarun Sharma
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Henry Saunders
Paramaribo (pallu) - Carlton Baker
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
Round 2: 1 Americano (Ordered)
Lima (RPHKR) - Grant Dugmore
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Jehan Mubarak
Paramaribo (pallu) - Timil Patel
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Dean Minors
George Town (Matt121) - Ruvindu Gunasekera
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Dwayne Leverock
St George's (VC the slogger) - Neil McGarrell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Lennox Cush
 
Round 3: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Imran Awan & Errion Charles
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Parth Desai & Oswald Sam Arthur
St George's (VC the slogger) - Geoff Barnett & Ryan Bovell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ainsley Hall & Irfan Tarajia
George Town (Matt121) - Aditya Thyagarajan & Vishwar Shaw
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Kenute Tulloch & Lee Melville
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Dion Stovell & Manny Aulakh
Paramaribo (pallu) - Keneil Irving & Esteban Nino
 
Round 4: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Steven Outerbridge & Narendra Ekanayake
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Guilherme Lefevre & Tony Sanford
St George's (VC the slogger) - Yasir Patel & Tushar Gupta 
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Dwight Weekly & Conroy Wright 
George Town (Matt121) -
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Urial Gilbert & Alexandre Miziara
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Ronald Ebanks & Benjamin Precious
Paramaribo (pallu) - Clay Smith & Ian Bilcliff

 

[Sulaiman7]

Great writing man .

 

[VC the slogger]

Great writing man .

Yep. That tells why he's in the PC writing team. Enjoyed reading it .

 

[HawkAussie]

Random picks please.

 

[ved_]

Awesome presentation, brilliant writing skills. You justified your inclusion the the PCWT!

 

[Ahmad Shah]

Excellent write up! I must've taken a while to write all that.

 

[El Loco]

OK, Ahmad needs to correct that last invalid pick as he'd be picking a second Caymanian. Index updated. Just...sit back and errrr...chillax while I sort out the auctions.

Round 1.1: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Miles Buesst & Mike Soulsby
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Siri & Tomas Francis
St George's (VC the slogger) - Dirk Sutherland & David Hemp
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ashish Bagai & Henry Osinde
George Town (Matt121) - Steve Gordon & Gregory Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Steve Massiah & Aditya Mishra
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Matt Featherstone & Greigor Caisley
Paramaribo (pallu) - David Crisp & Vishual Singh
 
Round 1.2: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nadeem Ahmed & Simon Shalders
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Matias Paterlini & Lucas Paterlini
St George's (VC the slogger) - Glenn Blakeney & Lionel Cann
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Jimmy Hansra & Rizwan Cheema
George Town (Matt121) - Abali Hoilett & Pearson Best
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) -Sushil Nadkarni & Steven Taylor
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Donovan Matthews & Rohan Ash
Paramaribo (pallu) - Benjamin Smith & Saeed Kara 
 
Round 1.3: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Tristan Bradbrook & Suresh Kumar
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Hamish Barton & Alejo Tissera
St George's (VC the slogger) - Kevin Hurdle & Rodney Trott
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Khurram Chohan & John Davison
George Town (Matt121) - Kevin Bazil & Mario Ford
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Carl Wright & Ryan Corns
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Rubabul Islam & Douglas Brown
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Abdullah Nawab & Troy Dudnath
 
Round 1.4: 2 Players from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Guan Ding Yi & Javed Iqbal
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) -Pablo Ryan & Hernan Fennell
St George's (VC the slogger) - George O'Brien & Janeiro Tucker
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Sunil Dhaniram & Balaji Rao
George Town (Matt121) - Marlon Bryan & Troy Taylor
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Muhammad Ghous & Elmore Hutchinson
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Kirton Sutton & Rudyard Hartmann
Paramaribo (pallu) -  Shazam Ramjohn & Radjeev Jagroep
 
Round 1.5: 1 Player from your catchment nations
Lima (RPHKR) - Nicholas Appelyard
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Martin Collins
St George's (VC the slogger) - Irving Romaine
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Harvir Baidwan
George Town (Matt121) - Alessandro Morris
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Tarun Sharma
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Henry Saunders
Paramaribo (pallu) - Carlton Baker
 
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
Round 2: 1 Americano (Ordered)
Lima (RPHKR) - Grant Dugmore
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Jehan Mubarak
Paramaribo (pallu) - Timil Patel
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Dean Minors
George Town (Matt121) - Ruvindu Gunasekera
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Dwayne Leverock
St George's (VC the slogger) - Neil McGarrell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Lennox Cush
 
Round 3: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Imran Awan & Errion Charles
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Parth Desai & Oswald Sam Arthur
St George's (VC the slogger) - Geoff Barnett & Ryan Bovell
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Ainsley Hall & Irfan Tarajia
George Town (Matt121) - Aditya Thyagarajan & Vishwar Shaw
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Kenute Tulloch & Lee Melville
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Dion Stovell & Manny Aulakh
Paramaribo (pallu) - Keneil Irving & Esteban Nino
 
Round 4: 2 Americanos
Lima (RPHKR) - Steven Outerbridge & Narendra Ekanayake
Buenos Aires (Zhuorb) - Guilherme Lefevre & Tony Sanford
St George's (VC the slogger) - Yasir Patel & Tushar Gupta 
Ottawa (Ahmad Shah) - Dwight Weekly & [COLOR="Red"]INVALID[/COLOR]
George Town (Matt121) - Ian Walker & Ryan Steede
Los Angeles (Singhb/Akul) - Urial Gilbert & Alexandre Miziara
Rio de Janeiro (The Author) - Ronald Ebanks & Benjamin Precious
Paramaribo (pallu) - Clay Smith & Ian Bilcliff

 

[Ahmad94]

Great write up man, was a great read.