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Paul McNamara

Cricket head coach Simon Willis says he is aiming to establish ambitious Hong Kong as the most respected associate team in the world.
Next month, Hong Kong go to Uganda for the 50-over Cricket World Cup Challenge League B, which is the first staging post on the path to qualification for the 2027 World Cup, and a pivotal tournament in the city team’s attempts to recapture one-day international (ODI) status.
They kick off their campaign against Bahrain on November 7 and over the subsequent eight days face Italy, Uganda, Tanzania and Singapore.
The six teams reconvene in 2025 and 2026, with the best-performing side across the three years progressing to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, where, among the prizes on offer, is ODI status.

At a World Cup qualifier in 2018, Hong Kong relinquished the ODI standing they had enjoyed for four years after finishing bottom of their five-team group.
“When you are a ODI team, the respect for you from around the world increases,” Willis said. “That’s our No 1 thing: from when I started the job [in March 2023], we wanted to be the most respected associate team in the world.
“Also, that ODI status brings more finance; money from the ICC [International Cricket Council] goes up significantly.
“Players’ contracts improve and any team that is winning and going up the rankings creates interest from a sponsorship perspective and numbers of people watching. Qualifying for tournaments is harder when you don’t have ODI status, too.
“There are so many upsides to having ODI status and I hope we can bring that back to Hong Kong.”
Willis’ team are in Oman for the forthcoming ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, which the Englishman is viewing as a confidence-building opportunity for his players ahead of tackling their “No 1 priority”.
During a three-week preparation period, before flying to Oman on Thursday, Hong Kong had access to “limited facilities” and were able to train only indoors.
“I was told grass facilities weren’t available,” said Willis, who was looking forward to the “great” resources and, consequently, scope for “high-quality training” in Oman.
Hong Kong are in a group with the ‘A’ teams from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in the eight-nation T20 tournament. Before starting against the Bangladeshis on October 18, they will join Oman and Afghanistan ‘A’ in a warm-up tri-nation competition, beginning with a game against the hosts on Saturday.
“This will be a trip to start the process of getting ready for the Challenge League, which is our No 1 priority,” Willis said. “We are going to use this tournament to get some confidence, to get players into form and to help them understand where they sit at a higher level.
“It’s a great opportunity for them, too, because you never know which doors might open from playing these bigger teams. With T20 and T10 franchise leagues around the world, if you do something spectacular, you might have teams saying, ‘come to play for us’.”
Following the Emerging Nations competition, Hong Kong will relocate to Cape Town for a training camp, lasting roughly nine days, where they will play two 50-over matches against a Western Province Premier League 11 at Claremont Cricket Club.
A trio of players – Ehsan Khan, Zeeshan Ali and captain Nizakat Khan – will miss part of that camp to return home for the Hong Kong Sixes on November 1, 2 and 3.
Willis said he had “lots of discussions” with the board to discern their priorities.

“Players were involved in those talks, too,” Willis added. “Some who were considered [for Sixes] said they wanted to stay [in South Africa] and give themselves the best chance of performing in the Challenge League.
“In international cricket, whether you play for England or for Hong Kong, there are lots of clashes, because the calendar is full. We wanted to support [the Sixes] as much as we could, given the restrictions in place.”
Despite the hectic schedule, Willis said this would be a chance the players should relish.
“We’re going to be on the road for the next five weeks, so it’s going to be challenging for the players … but it’s very exciting and a great opportunity for everyone,” he said.


Hong Kong playing for pride against Afghanistan after Sri Lanka A loss in Asia tournament

Hong Kong’s big-hitting Babar Hayat eyes franchise chance after Asian tournament fireworks

Hong Kong star Kapur set to play against city team after New Zealand Sixes call

Hong Kong Cricket Sixes: India, Pakistan reveal seasoned squads for much-anticipated clash

Cricket Hong Kong

Cricket coach wants Hong Kong to become ‘most respected associate team in the world’

Hong Kong begin five weeks on the road with a warm-up game in Oman on Saturday. Photo: Handout

Captain Nizakat Khan will lead Hong Kong’s bid to recapture ODI status. Photo: Cricket Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong will go to South Africa before their Challenge League campaign. Photo: Malaysian Cricket Association

Hong Kong to host India v Pakistan and Australia v England at revived Cricket Sixes

The last edition of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is seen from above its then venue Kowloon Cricket Club in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

South Africa captain Aubrey Swanepoel is ecstatic as his side win the 2017 Sixes. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Nizakat was inspired watching Pakistan batting firecracker Shahid Afridi at the 2004 sixes. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong cricket coach pays tribute to world-leading batting pair, hails young talent

Nizakat Khan is the leading run scorer in T20 international cricket in 2024. Photo: Cricket Hong Kong, China

Babar Hayat is flourishing after moving down the order to No 4. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong were knocked out of T20 World Cup qualifying this month. Photo: Malaysian Cricket Association

China links can help Hong Kong breathe new life into city’s cricket scene, coach Willis says

Hong Kong’s next major challenge starts in November in Uganda, when they will begin their bid to reach the 50-over World Cup. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Burji Shroff (front left) chairman of Cricket Hong Kong, China, and Liu Zhentao, chairman of the Shandong Small Ball Sports Federation at a ceremony marking the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Photo: Shandong Small Ball Sports Federation

Willis vowing Hong Kong will ‘work harder, smarter’ in bid to regain elite cricket status

Captain Nizakat Khan and his colleagues must quickly recover from their World Cup disappointment. Photo: Cricket Hong Kong, China

Willis is seeing individual improvement, but wants an end to collective lapses. Photo: Malaysian Cricket Association

Hong Kong are back in T20 action next month, before 50-over cricket takes centre stage in November. Photo: Handout

Sport

Cricket

Key to that is regaining one-day international status, a path that begins with the Emerging Teams Asia Cup and World Cup Challenge League


Key to that is regaining one-day international status, a path that begins with the Emerging Teams Asia Cup and World Cup Challenge League.


ICC (International Cricket Council)