The next T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka and India in 2026. The Cayman Islands took part in the Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers and comfortably progressed through the first stage before being eliminated in the second stage by Canada.
by Umm-e-Aymen Babar, sports journalist
Saturday 6 July 2024 21:32, UK
The cricket world was shocked when the USA recorded a historic win over Pakistan in the Super Over of the T20 World Cup.
Such upsets are rare for associate teams but the Cayman Islands are confident they can be the underdogs when the 2026 tournament is hosted in Sri Lanka and India.
They took part in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers for this year’s tournament, defeating the Bahamas (31 runs), Panama (12 runs) and Argentina (3 wickets) in the sub-regional qualifiers, the first stage of the pathway.
Their top three finish advanced them to the Americas Regional Final in Bermuda, where they joined Canada, who won the tournament and qualified for the 2024 World Cup. Now the Cayman Islands have their sights set on the 2026 tournament.
“I’m very confident in my team,” Cayman Islands all-rounder Sam Foster said.
“The coaching staff hasn’t said much but we are expected to have a very good team. We definitely need to work a bit harder but I am really confident we can qualify for the next World Cup.”
“Other teams may have gotten stronger in the two-and-a-half years it takes to qualify, but we’ve focused on ourselves and I think we’re in pretty good shape.
“Cayman cricket has definitely progressed in the two and a half years since I’ve been here. There’s a lot of energy being put into it.”
“We have a new coach and staff coming in and they are doing a great job preparing us for the goals we can achieve.”
Foster was named man of the match on his debut for the Cayman Islands after hitting 11 bounds and two sixes in an impressive 73 not out in an 18-run win over the Bahamas in March.
The Cayman Islands won the five-match series 3-2, with Foster also taking a wicket on his international cricket debut.
“That’s my favourite memory,” said Foster, who plays for the expat club Greenies.
“We had five new guys on the team so it was a really good effort to win the series. We mixed up the team to give our new guys a chance and it shows the strength and depth of our line-up.”
“I think it was a really good effort because I went overseas and was able to adapt well to the environment.
“From a personal point of view it was a really proud moment to win the cap, I’ve worked really hard over the last two years to get myself in a good position to play.
“The time I was unable to spend with my partner at the weekend due to cricket training finally paid off and being named man of the match in my first game was a dream come true.
“It was a very proud moment for me because I definitely didn’t expect that.
“My first wicket was a low full toss spooned up in the air but I’m still going to take it. No one will be able to see that from the scorecard.”
Cricket has always been a part of Foster’s life: his father, Neil Alan Foster, was an Essex fast bowler who played 29 Test matches and 48 One-Day Internationals for England between 1983 and 1993. Neil was also part of Mike Gatting’s England team that finished runners-up in the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
“He was a big influence on me because I always followed him everywhere he went on tour,” Foster recalls.
“He retired quite early due to repeated injuries, which prompted him to become a physiotherapist.
“He spent a lot of time in the physio bed so after he finished playing he did a bit of coaching and then he decided to go down that route.
“Ever since I was a kid I loved Kevin Pietersen, I loved watching him batting and how he hit the ball everywhere and the different types of shots he played.
“He’s a big inspiration but to be honest, I can’t bat like him. I’m also a big Joe Root fan and I really admire his perseverance in Test cricket.”
“I try to emulate them a little bit but in T20 cricket you can’t be that patient.”
Cricket isn’t the only thing Foster inherited from his father: he is also a physiotherapist and moved to the Cayman Islands two and a half years ago to pursue this passion, where he has been playing cricket since day one.
“I’ve always liked the idea of helping people, and my dad ran his own business so I got to see firsthand how he worked and the great work he did helping people,” Foster said.
“It was something I always wanted to do and I’ve always loved sports, so it was really the perfect crossover.”
He took part in the Cayman Islands’ last ICC tour of Argentina, which gave him a greater understanding of what is expected of him as a player.
“We’re lucky enough to have very good weather all year round. We have a rainy season but we play cricket pretty much from January through to November,” Foster added.
“I’ve played a lot more cricket in the last two years than I did when I was in England and it’s really helped my game.
“We have a few international players on our team and a pretty strong team, so the level here is also very competitive.”
The Cayman Islands’ population is made up largely of expatriates from Jamaica, the UK, the US, Canada and Honduras, resulting in a diverse cricket team.
Most of the cricketers play on a part-time basis, which is not unusual especially for associate teams that receive less financial support from the ICC.
Last month, Valley left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar made headlines when he led the United States to a historic win over Pakistan in a tense Super Over.
Perhaps the 2026 World Cup will see a similar story from the Cayman Islands.