Hong Kong cricket chief warns city needs facilities, funding to be competitive
Hong Kong set for T20 series with Kuwait, Qatar and Nepal, but ‘need more money so our players can be fully professional’
Hong Kong cricket chief Burji Shroff has warned that only increased access to facilities, more grounds and greater government support will allow the city’s men’s and women’s teams to improve.
Following one-sided losses to Uganda and Italy in February’s Challenge League, which Shroff called “disappointing to say the least”, Hong Kong’s men have minimal hope of attaining cherished one-day international status until 2030 at the earliest.
Ahead of hosting Nepal, Kuwait and Qatar for a quadrangular series, from Wednesday to Sunday, Hong Kong are No 23 in the T20I world rankings, with women in 22nd.
“It’s not a favourable position for us right now,” said Shroff, chairman of Cricket Hong Kong, China (CHK).
The city has one venue, Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Kowloon, capable of regularly staging international cricket, while most of the players have work commitments.
Shroff said the “government have been good with us”, in granting increased access to Tin Kwong Road over the past 12 months. “We’re still desperately short, though … and we need more use of other grounds,” Shroff added.