Canadian men seek historic 1st berth to T20 cricket World Cup at final qualifier

Canada's men's national cricket team knows what's at stake.

A victory at the ICC (International Cricket Council) men's T20 World Cup Americas Regional Final Qualifier would end the nation's 13-year World Cup drought.

"None of us in the squad have played [in] a World Cup before … it's a dream [for] everybody in the squad to represent Canada in the World Cup," captain Saad Bin Zafar told CBC Sports from Houston, where the Canadian men's team was hosting pre-qualifying training and practice sessions.

Canada, ranked No. 19 in the world in men's T20 cricket, has never qualified for the biggest stage in the sport's popular faster-paced format. The Canadian men have previously made four Cricket World Cup appearances (1979, 2003, 2007, 2011) — never advancing past the first round in the marquee event of One Day International (ODI) cricket. 

Canada, along with hosts Bermuda (No. 32), Cayman Islands (No. 38) and Panama (No. 70) will compete in a double round-robin format from Sept. 30-Oct.7 with the winner earning the final Americas spot at next year's T20 tournament hosted by the United States and the West Indies.

"We are ranked higher than the other teams so we feel very confident but at the same time … we have to make sure that we play our best cricket on the field everyday during the competition in order for us to win," said Zafar, a 36-year-old all-rounder, who also helped the Canadian men regain their ODI status in April by finishing top four at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff.

"Everybody knows the opportunity and that the possibility of playing in the World Cup relies on this tournament."

The 2024 edition of the men's T20 World Cup is set to be the biggest one yet, featuring 20 teams in total. It will also be