Canada's cricket World Cup squad includes a forklift driver, accountant, salesman,
and teacher. 
With just two pros among the 15 players named yesterday, Canada
will be rank underdogs in its Group C matches against England, New Zealand and Kenya in the Caribbean next month.
But coach Andy Pick, the former England A player and
England Under-19 coach, believed he had players who can make a difference.
"We've got six or seven players who can single-handedly alter the result
of the game," pick said.
"They're good enough players to put in a game-changing performance."
The team featured captain John Davison, who plays in Sydney,
Australia, and whose 67-ball century against West Indies was the
fastest in World Cup history four years ago; batsman Geoff Barnett,
who plays first-class cricket in Blenheim, New Zealand; and Toronto wicketkeeper
Ashish Bagai, who was named player of the tournament in the recent world
league in Kenya.
Canada's only win in six matches at the 2003 World Cup
was a 60-run victory against Bangladesh, but it was also dismissed for a world-record
low 36 against Sri Lanka.
Canada opens on March 14 against Kenya before playing England
on March 18 and New Zealand on March 22.
The Kenyans defeated Canada by 158 runs in the World League,
but the Canadians know the first game represents their best chance at an upset.
"We have to be realistic," Pick said.
"Most times out of a hundred, our best chance at winning
a game would be against Kenya.
"If England and New Zealand play their best cricket, that
will be better than our best cricket. What we have to aim for is not to compete
with those guys, but to compete with ourselves. If we produce our best game
and they don't, that's when the underdog wins."
Canada: John Davison (Captain), Ashish Bagai, Ian Billcliff,
Geoff Barnett, Kevin Sandher, Umar Bhatti, Desmond Chumney, George Codrington,
Austin Codrington, Andy Cummins, Sunil Dhaniram, Asif Mulla, Henry Osinde,
Abdool Samad, Qaiser Ali.
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