Friendship Cup featuring Heath Streak Academy XI from today

Mangaluru: International cricket, albeit at age-group level, is making a comeback in this coastal city when the 4-day Friendship Cup 2019 tournament gets under way at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management ground at Adyar from Friday. The tournament features Heath Streak Academy XI, Mangalore Sports Club and Mangalore Occassionals, with local teams playing the visitors three times in as many days and top teams playing the final.
Former Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak said the tournament will provide a good exposure to some exciting age-group talent from back home headed by skipped Daniel Erasmus and test their cricketing skills against the local lads on their home conditions. “The sub-continent conditions are testing enough for international cricketers. The trip early in their careers will stand Daniel and his boys in good stead when they progress in their careers,” he said.

Head coach and former Zimbabwean cricketer Gavin Ewing said the tour will give the boys a chance to understand a new culture, feel new and testing conditions and most importantly make new friends. “Cricket is not all about winning, but understanding the larger role that the game goes into making a cricketer,” Gavin said, adding he is excited to see Daniel, a promising fast bowler who clocks 140 kmph, have a go at the local lads in local conditions.

Acknowledging that the sub-continent conditions are new to him and his 17-member squad, Daniel said it is great to be mentored by two of the greatest names in Zimbabwean cricket – Heath and Gavin. “We are not used to the temperature and humidity for back home it is around 23-24 degree Celsius now,” Daniel said. Heath added that the squad will be rotated over the days to give all boys the exposure of playing in these conditions.

Jayaraj Mutthu, local convener, said Academy XI will play the two local sides in a 30-over-a-side game on 3 days, with the first match starting at 8.30am and second at 1.30pm. The local team is comprised of U-14 and U-15 talents from two clubs. The final will be played from 2pm on April 15. Joseph Rego, CEO, Heath Streak International Cricket Trust, said a Karnataka team headed by Mutthu had toured Zimbabwe for the Afro-Asian cricket tournament last year.