New Delhi, Feb 13 Veteran Canada batter Navneet Dhaliwal said hitting a fifty in the group-stage clash against South Africa in the Men’s T20 World Cup carried added significance as it came in a country where cricket is adored a lot. Dhaliwal’s fighting fifty went in vain as South Africa beat Canada by 57 runs in Ahmedabad.
Canada are now looking to get their first win over UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday afternoon. “Scoring fifty in World Cup cricket while playing in a nation with such a massive population where cricket is like a religion is special. Every second person plays here. The grinding is what I learned from Punjab and playing in India. The passion people have for the game helped me survive those tough periods in Canada, both in cricket and in my professional life.”
"A bit of a discipline problem we have a little bit for sure, but when you need someone to stand in the middle and fight for their country, you see the true spirit of a Punjabi. They might be hard to control sometimes, but they'll fight until the end,” Dhaliwal told broadcasters ahead of the clash.
Dhaliwal reflected on the contrasting cricketing cultures in India and Canada, noting the challenges of balancing sport with professional life coming in a non-Test playing nation. "Cricket in Canada is different from what you expect in Test nations. In the big nations, players are well-paid, but in Canada, you have to work.
“You have a family to support, and it isn't easy juggling your passion with your profession. But the World Cup is a huge stage, especially in India. I promised myself I'd keep fighting through every game to perform and get selected, and that's why I'm here today."
The right-hander, who began his cricketing journey in Punjab before emigrating to Canada, said his adopted country has shaped his resilience. "I think Canada taught me that focusing on only one thing isn't always the right path. In India, I learned to focus strictly on being a cricketer and doing it regularly. But in Canada, you have to learn to juggle different responsibilities."
"Canada has treated me really well; it's become my home now. Coming back here, it feels like the circle is complete. I started in India, and it looks like I am going to finish in India too."
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