Family reunion on the cards in times of cricket

Cricket pundits have been terming this World Cup a ‘journey of experiences’ for the Associate countries like Canada and the Netherlands. But it seems some of them have taken the term quite literally.

Cricket pundits have been terming this World Cup a ‘journey of experiences’ for the Associate countries like Canada and the Netherlands. But it seems some of them have taken the term quite literally.

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For the Indian origin player in the Canadian team — six in the 16-member squad — the cricketing extravaganza is not just an opportunity to face the best in the game at the best arenas in terms of crowd support, but a convenient way to catch up with family members and tracing their roots.

When Amabhir Jimmy Hansra struck his first international fifty in the win against Kenya on March 7, the Punjabi had ensured that his family from Ludhiana had occupied the seats to witness it. “That was a proud moment, not just because it (the half-century) was my first, but also because my family was there in the stands,” said Hansra.

Hansra is not alone; the other Ludhiana lad, HS Baidwan, and many others have stretched their ‘influence’ to get their families into the stands and are also planning to visit their ‘hometowns’.

Spinner Balaji Rao has already chalked out his post-WC plans. He plans to stay back in the country for 10 days and visit his family in Chennai.