Cricket 'fairy tale': Philippines amateurs chase World Cup berth

The Philippines is better known for boxers than batsmen and its cricket team has not played for three years, but the side of amateurs hope to make their mark in T20 World Cup qualifiers.

As the lowest-ranked side in the eight-team qualifying tournament taking place this month in Oman featuring the likes of Nepal, Ireland and United Arab Emirates, few are more surprised than the Philippines to be pulling on the pads at global level.

"It's like a fairy tale," said skipper Jonathan Hill, a high-school teacher in Jervis Bay in Australia's New South Wales, where he plays club cricket.

The Philippines team is made up of mainly Indian expats in Manila and Filipino-Australians based in Australia who take time off from their day jobs to train and play.

Preparations for the biggest fixtures of their lives have been "far from ideal", Hill said.

The last time the Philippines played a match was three years ago - a victorious, rain-soaked five overs against Vanuatu in a regional qualifying tournament in Port Moresby which unexpectedly secured their berth in Oman.

After the Covid pandemic hit and competitions were cancelled, players were left mostly to train alone as lockdowns and border closures made it impossible to gather in one place.

When the 14-strong squad assembles in Oman this week for Friday's opening clash against Canada, it will be the first time some of the players have met.

"We're definitely heavy underdogs," said Hill.

"But at the end of the day cricket is still a game.

"It's bat versus ball and the thing I love most about it is that it's not just skill level or fitness level or even intellect - so much of cricket is about heart and that's something we've always played with."

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The top two teams in Oman will