Cricket World Cup: Birth Certificates No Bar

A birth certificate is no bar at the World Cup 2011. We can see Australians playing for Ireland, South Africans for Netherlands, Indians and Pakistanis in Canadian team.

A birth certificate is no bar at the World Cup 2011. We have Australians playing for Ireland, South Africans for Netherland, Indians and Pakistanis in Canadian team.

But it is not just the so-called minnows who include players from overseas -- England have a clutch of South Africans and South Africa themselves include Pakistan-born Imran Tahir in their squad.

Bollywood and Akshay Kumar Rope in Cricketing Greats for Star Quotient
As teams prepare for the cricket World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, some of the game's greatest players are gearing up for an appearance of a different kind -- in a new Bollywood film.

Canada's 15-man World Cup squad includes players born in seven different countries including skipper Ashish Bagai from India, along with others who hail from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Uganda -- and Canada.

Fellow International Cricket Council associate member Ireland look to players from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, although the bulk of their squad are home-grown.

England have faced flak for recruiting South Africans including key players Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. Matt Prior was born in Johannesburg and even skipper Andrew Strauss has a South Africa birth certificate.

Nepal's Blind Cricketers Wield the Bat to Attract Attention to Their Difficulties
Pawan Acharya, a major in the Nepalese army, got to know of the difficulties experienced by blind people only after after he lost his own sight.

But far from being a source of embarrassment for the Canadians, the multicultural make-up of their squad is a matter of pride.

Canada's minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism Jason Kenney last week said he hoped the "Canadian Tendulkar" would be found among a wave of recent immigrants, many from "great cricket-playing nations."

Sponsors Celebrate the Success of World Cup
The World Cup's official suppliers and sponsors celebrate the success of the winning team .

Ireland caused one one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when they beat Pakistan in the West Indies in 2007, with Australian-born skipper Trent Johnston hitting the winning runs.

Johnston began his career at New South Wales where he played alongside the likes of Australian Test stars Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and Brett Lee.

Cricketer Botham Sets Off on 25th Cancer Charity Walk Across UK
Twenty-five years after England cricketing legend Ian Botham's first charity walk, from John O'Groats to Land's End, he is stepping out again for his blood cancer charity.

Cricket Ireland media manager Barry Chambers told AFP that foreign players had boosted the quality of cricket.

Ireland had only picked players born elsewhere if they were resident in Ireland and had shown a commitment to Irish cricket, he said. Johnston, for example, is married to an Irish woman and lives in Dublin.

"In Ireland's case, the players have helped to take Irish cricket to a new level. We're now the leading associate and have qualified for the final stages of four major ICC events.

"The players brought a professionalism to the game which has rubbed off on the younger players coming through. Ireland keep producing real gems -- Eoin Morgan before he switched to England," he said.

But Chambers said some teams "take it to extremes", without spelling out which ones he was referring to, adding: "I'd have no problem if the ICC decided to put a cap on players born outside the country to three or four.

"We took a lot of criticism during the last World Cup from particularly the English media for the number of non-nationals. It'll be interesting to see when we play them in Bangalore just how we compare to them in terms of people born in their respective countries."

Irishman Ed Joyce is in the unusual position of turning out for Ireland at the World Cup having already represented England.

Netherlands team manager Ed van Nierop said players from overseas had lifted the standard of cricket "enormously" in the European nation with the aim being to establish a long-lasting relationship.

The team includes stars such as South African-born Ryan ten Doeschate, who averages an eye-watering 68.55 in one-day internationals, the highest ODI average in the world.

Skipper Peter Borren played on the New Zealand under-19 team with current Black Caps stars Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder.

"The selectors tend to want foreign passport holders to link up with Dutch cricket, not simply fly them into the squad for big tournaments," said van Nierop.

"Ryan ten Doeschate has a history in the country playing for a club called Bloemendaal for a season. Also, Tom Cooper (born in Australia) played for VRA Amsterdam last summer."

"Our selectors do look at Dutch passport holders in Test-playing countries," said van Nierop. "But it's a balance and we do try to get them involved in the Dutch cricket set-up as much as possible beforehand.

"The one exception was when (fast bowler) Dirk Nannes (the son of Dutch parents who subsequently represented his native Australia) became available for the 2009 World Twenty20. That was a gift horse we couldn't overlook."

Source-AFP