Hong Kong’s cricketers fighting for investment and interest at ACC Premier Cup – ‘a winning team raises eyebrows’
- City’s team begin their ACC Premier Cup campaign against Qatar on Friday, with tournament winners set to earn Asia Cup qualification
- Head coach Simon Willis crossing fingers over availability of quartet of players, after sickness and injury hit squad
Hong Kong head coach Simon Willis said a strong performance at the ACC Premier Cup in Oman is imperative to stimulate investment and interest in local cricket.
The city’s team open their campaign against Qatar on Friday. Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Malaysia complete Hong Kong’s group, with the top two advancing to next Friday’s semi-finals.
The prize for winning the 10-team T20 competition, featuring the continent’s top eight associate nations, is a spot in the 2025 Asia Cup.
Willis, appointed 13 months ago, is keen for more elite facilities in the city. He revealed that during a trio of Premier Cup warm-up games against United Arab Emirates, a succession of Hong Kong batsmen perished “caught on the boundary, whereas in Hong Kong, the grounds are smaller, and it is easier to hit it over the rope”.
That scenario was envisaged by Tatenda Taibu, the former Zimbabwe Test captain, who is head coach of the Papua New Guinea team that last month won a tri-series at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground, one of only three cricket grounds in Hong Kong with a grass wicket.
