China links can help Hong Kong breathe new life into city’s cricket scene, coach Willis says
Coach anticipates more ‘bumps in the road’ but optimistic over plans for long-term regeneration of Hong Kong cricket
Head coach Simon Willis said Hong Kong cricket’s newly formed alliances with groups in mainland China would “produce more players … and better coaches” for the city.
Hong Kong has around 4,000 active cricketers, with Willis estimating he is choosing from a pool of “50 or 60” for international squads.
The Englishman, then, has a tall order to keep his side on the coattails of the associate nations where money is being spent more liberally following the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games.
Last month, Burji Shroff, the chairman of Cricket Hong Kong, China (CHKC), signed a memorandum of understanding with the Multi Balls Games Administrative Centre of the General Administration of Sports in China, adding to the board’s close relationships with various cricket associations across the border.
Hong Kong were recently eliminated from the reckoning for 2026 T20 World Cup qualification, and Willis warned there would be “more bumps in the road”.
He nevertheless urged Hong Kong cricket to “stick together and see the picture of where we want to take the game in the next five or six years”.
