Hong Kong head coach says failure to reach next stage of T20 World Cup not an option
Crushing victories over Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore begin qualifying campaign, but pressure tests set for closing stages of competition
Head coach Simon Willis said he would expect to “have questions asked of me” if Hong Kong do not reach next year’s final round of T20 World Cup qualification.
Hong Kong achieved convincing victories in their opening three matches of the first qualification phase in Malaysia.
They face Maldives on Tuesday, but with only the top two from seven teams advancing, Hong Kong’s crunch fixtures come on Saturday, when they meet the hosts, then Kuwait the following Monday.
Willis’ side have blown hot and cold over the past 12 months. Attempts to address the inconsistency included the establishment of a new player performance programme, and a relaxation of selection criteria; both moves designed to increase the city’s player pool.
Issues remained in a tri-series competition last month, when Hong Kong twice beat Malaysia, but lost all three games against Kuwait. Willis said his team “let themselves down from a tactical and execution point of view” in two of those defeats.
“Under pressure, we bowled the wrong bowlers … and our fielding did not support the key moments,” Willis said.
