Canada (A)

Canada's cricket scene is buzzing with excitement as they gear up for their historic debut at the T20 World Cup. This is a monumental achievement, marking a turning point for their developing cricket programme.

Canada clinched their spot in the tournament in a thrilling qualifying campaign last October, edging out Bermuda -- who finished with the same number of points -- thanks to a superior net run-rate.

Coached by former Sri Lankan international Pubudu Dassanayake and led by all-rounder Saad Bin Zafar, the Canadian squad reflects a strategic mix. Seasoned campaigners like batter Aaron Johnson and seamer Kaleem Sana are expected to be crucial players.

Youngsters like Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva bring a shot of fresh talent to the team, which will be eager to prove themselves on the world stage.

Canada are drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts USA, India, Pakistan and Ireland. While advancing will be a tall order, the clash against fellow North American side USA will be a highly-anticipated match with bragging rights on the line.

SQUAD

Saad Bin Zafar (C), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyankhan Pathan, Shreyas Movva

KEY PLAYER

Saad Bin Zafar

Just a few years ago, Saad Bin Zafar juggled a full-time job with nights spent playing cricket for local leagues with no pay. Now, at 37, he leads the North American team at the T20 World Cup, where his all-round skills will be crucial. He is Canada's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is with his left-arm spin, boasting 43 scalps in 38 matches. With the bat, he boasts a respectable average of 22.66 and a strike rate of 133.99 in this format.

STAT ATTACK 

T20 World Cup Appearance: 1st
T20 World Cup Performance: N/A

DID YOU KNOW?

While this marks Canada's debut at the T20 World Cup, they have competed in four ODI World Cups, failing to get past the group stage on all four occasions.