Photo Credit: LinkedIn Profile Photo of Simon Willis
Cricket Hong Kong is delighted to announce both its squad for the HK International T20I Series and the appointment of Simon Willis, former Kent Cricketer and Sri Lanka High Performance Manager as the Head Coach for the Hong Kong Men’s team!
The upcoming series, starting on the 8th March 2023, will be Simon’s first assignment. He will join the team this Friday, leading them in a T20I series involving Malaysia, Kuwait and Bahrain, with all games played at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground!
Simon brings with him a wealth of experience in professional cricket environments in England and Sri Lanka respectively. An ex-wicket keeper/batsman with Kent County Cricket Club, he became the youngest first-class coach in England at the age of 29 when he was appointed by Kent as Head Coach in 2004. Simon has since held a number of High Performance coaching and management roles with Kent, the England and Wales Cricket Board and most recently Sri Lanka Cricket as their High Performance Manager!
General Manager Mark Farmer had this to say “We are incredibly excited to have Simon joining Cricket Hong Kong. Simon is highly respected coach who brings with him a wealth of experience in both England and Sri Lanka.”
“Whilst we look to build on our recent success at the Asia Cup Qualifiers and prepare for a busy year ahead, the long-term priority continues to be focused on regaining ODI status. We believe strongly that Simon has the experience, adaptability, and ambition to take the team forward to achieve our ambitious goals.”
“The appointment follows an extensive recruitment process, the selection panel was impressed by the number and quality of applicants from around the world. Simon will be an invaluable addition to Cricket Hong Kong and I look forward to welcoming him on board.”
Simon Willis had this to say, “Cricket Hong Kong is well established with a proud history of performance on the world stage and I feel honored to be appointed as head coach. I am incredibly excited by the great potential in the current playing group. I look forward to working closely with the players and management team in the upcoming T20 and 50 over series as we prepare for the ACC Premier Cup.”
Captain Nizakat Khan’s squad sees the return of Anshuman Rath, Raag Kapur and Nasrulla Rana, all of whom have recently spent time abroad honing their games.
Nizakat Khan ©
Adit Gorawara
Aizaz Khan
Anshuman Rath
Babar Hayat
Ehsan Khan
Ghazanfar Mohammad
Haroon Arshad
Kinchit Shah
Nasrulla Rana
Raag Kapur
Shahid Wasif
Yasim Murtaza
Zeeshan Ali
Schedule:
Game 1: Wednesday, 8 March 2023 – Kuwait vs Malaysia (09:30-12:40)
Game 2: Wednesday, 8 March 2023 – Hong Kong, China vs Bahrain (13:40-16:50)
Game 3: Thursday, 9 March 2023 – Malaysia vs Bahrain (09:30-12:40)
Game 4: Thursday, 9 March 2023 – Kuwait vs Hong Kong, China (13:40-16:50)
Game 5: Saturday, 11 March 2023 – Bahrain vs Kuwait (09:30-12:40)
Game 6: Saturday, 11 March 202 – Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia (13:40-16:50)
3rd Place Play off: Sunday, 12 March 2023 – TBC vs TBC (09:30-12:40)
Final : Sunday, 12 March 2023 – TBC vs TBC (13:40-16:50)
All games will be live broadcast globally, with details to be announced shortly.
This event(s) is subvented by Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) (Arts and Sport Development Fund, ASDF), supported by Leisure and Cultural Services Department of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
