Toronto, 20 August (H.S.):

Canada’s men’s cricket team is now searching for a new head coach after Monty Desai stepped down from the position. Desai returned to the Canadian setup for a second stint in May, during which the team featured in two tri-series as part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, with one series played in Canada and the other in Scotland.

Desai’s departure comes with four matches remaining in Canada’s World Cup League 2 campaign. The team is six points adrift of the top four and faces the possibility of having to compete in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off. The re-qualification tournament will determine four places in the qualifier for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.

This was Desai’s second stint with Canada. He had previously coached the team during its World Cricket League 2 campaign in Namibia in 2019.

Following his departure, Desai said on social media, “It was a short chapter, but an extremely important one for me. Every environment teaches you something new. This experience has further strengthened my belief that sustained success is built through time, trust, preparation, strong relationships and collective responsibility.”

Expressing gratitude to the players, support staff and everyone who accompanied him during the journey, Desai said, “I am grateful for the relationships built, the lessons learned and the opportunity to contribute.”

Desai has more than 20 years of coaching experience and has also worked with teams including the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Nepal. During his tenure with Nepal, the team produced an impressive campaign in the Cricket World Cup League 2. He was also part of Nepal’s squad setup for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was held in the United States and the West Indies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar