As a former international cricketer and current coach of Sri Lanka Under-19s, Jehan Mubarak has more than one World Cup on his mind.
While anticipation builds ahead of the battle for the top prize in the men’s one-day game starting in India next month, Mubarak is also preparing for the equivalent under-19 tournament on home soil in 2024.
Yet before either of those events take place, another international competition begins as Chennai hosts the second Street Child Cricket World Cup.
View this post on InstagramAnd again Mubarak will have more than a passing interest having helped mentor and prepare the side that will represent his country.
“It’s huge for them,” Mubarak, who made 69 appearances for Sri Lanka across three formats, told the PA news agency. “You see the joy – pure joy – of kids playing a sport. It’s fantastic.
“Some of them are coming to Colombo for the first time – seeing a big city for the first time – and now they are going to get on a plane to go to India.
“I feel so happy for them. It is just going to expand their horizons and the stories they will bring back to Sri Lanka can show to everyone that anything is possible no matter who you are.”
The tournament, a mixed-gender event played with a soft ball, features teams from unheralded cricketing outposts such as Mexico, Hungary and Rwanda as well as established nations like England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka team is being run by the charity Child Action Lanka, a growing organisation which supports vulnerable children and has centres around the island.
Mubarak’s involvement is voluntary and part-time, when professional commitments allow, and came about by chance but has developed into a passion.
“One of my wife’s cousins was volunteering at CAL and they were looking for some cricketers to have a cricket day for some of the kids,” said the 43-year-old.
“When I was there it was like, ‘Wow’ and I started to see things from a different point of view.
“There are stories from the city which you may have known but conveniently don’t pay attention to.
“Now, everywhere I go, I see things differently. I see people less advantaged than us.
“I spent a couple of days with the kids, which was great. It led to every time CAL did a cricketing thing, they would call me. Then this World Cup came about.
“I am not the coach of this team. It is more of a supporting role. I help whenever I can.
“The purpose here is not just to put out your best team and win. It’s to give everyone an opportunity to experience the sport and different communities through sport.”
A dream for Mubarak would be to see one of the youngsters involved go on to make their name in the game, although that is not an objective.
“There are stories of kids coming through programmes like this and going on to become superstars,” he said.
“There are a couple who look good. Who knows? Something might come out of this. There is a girl now who is playing for her district team.
“I have spoken to a couple of the district coaches and said these kids are here, have a look.
“They won’t get an opportunity through their schools. Some of them don’t even go to school, and those who do may not get highlighted because of their circumstances.
“But everyone can play. Even if someone gets hit for six sixes the others are cheering them on all the time. It is really good. I love it.”
Salt century gives England winning start to West Indies T20 series
Phil Salt hit a superb century as England drew first blood in their T20 series against West Indies, with a commanding eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval.
Salt's unbeaten 103 off 54 balls was the highlight for the tourists, who successfully chased down their target of 183 with 19 balls to spare.
The West Indies endured a difficult start and were reduced to 18-3 and later 117-8, with Saqib Mahmood (4-34) and Adil Rashid (3-32) doing the damage.
However, the hosts managed 65 runs in the last 5.2 overs to finish at 182-8, with Gukadesh Motie knocking 33 off 14 balls along the way.
Salt kick-started England's chase with 50 off just 25 deliveries taking them to 73-1 after six overs, with Will Jacks (17) dismissed with the final ball of the powerplay.
Jos Buttler's first match after four months out lasted just three minutes, as the skipper was caught by Motie for a golden duck.
However, it proved a false dawn for West Indies, with Salt and Jacob Bethall (58 from 36 balls) safely steering England to victory.
Data Debrief: Salt completes hat-trick of hundreds as Bethell makes historic half-century
England put their disappointing ODI series behind them, making history with the highest T20 chase at the Kensington Oval.
Salt was the hero with his third T20I century, all of which have come against West Indies in the past 12 months.
Bethell also made history on Saturday. Aged 21 years and 17 days, he become the youngest England player to score a 50 in a T20I.
Asalanka leads Sri Lanka to ODI series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series against the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in Pallekele.
The hosts successfully chased down their opponents' total of 189, giving them an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka controlled the early powerplay - Asitha Fernando (3-35) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25) took two wickets apiece to leave the tourists at 31-4 in the ninth over.
Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) then claimed three of his four wickets as Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh and Alzarri Joseph were all dismissed in the space of 14 balls.
However, Sherfane Rutherford (80 off 82 balls) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) steadied the ship to take the Windies from 58-8 to 189.
Although Joseph claimed Avishka Fernando (9) in the fourth over, Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama both chipped in with contributions of 38 to get the hosts to 112-4.
Skipper Charith Asalanka (62 not out) led the charge thereon, while Kamindu Mendis (11) comfortably got them over the line with 34 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Rutherford-Motie historic stand proves academic for tourists
West Indies were looking to level the series, but their hopes were not aided by Sri Lanka's impressive bowling.
Rutherford and Motie did their best. Their partnership brought 119 runs, which is their nation's highest ninth-wicket stand in ODI history, breaking the previous record of 85 between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph.
However, it ultimately proved in vain as the hosts secured the series with a game to spare.
'I was a tired, grumpy old man' - Stokes apologised to England team-mates after Pakistan defeat
Ben Stokes says he apologised to his England team-mates after his frustrations were evident during the second-Test defeat by Pakistan.
The hosts levelled the three-Test series on Thursday after wrapping up a 152-run win in Multan.
However, it could have been a different story but for fielding errors at crucial stages for the visitors, Jamie Smith and Joe Root notably dropping catches to dismiss Salman Agha, whose subsequent knock of 63 helped Pakistan seal victory with a day to spare.
Stokes, who returned to action following a hamstring injury, could not hide his frustration during a difficult day for England, but insisted he would not let his emotions get the better of him again.
"No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are in these subcontinent conditions, they don't come along that often," he told Sky Sports.
"I actually apologised to the group last night. It's the first time in my captaincy that I've let my emotions and how I was feeling with the way the game was unfolding show in my body language.
"I owned up to that and was very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It's something that I don't want to do or be seen to be doing, so I apologised to the group about that.
"Poor old me, I was a tired, grumpy old man last night! You won't see that happen again."
However, England coach Brendon McCullum defended the actions of his skipper.
"We all know how passionate Ben is, how much it means for him to play for England," he said.
"We've seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe and to have his first TM [Test match] in extreme conditions, 40 degrees, and be able to give what he gave to the side.
"I think, maybe, that's where some of that frustration led to - certainly, it wasn't directed at any of the players. It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game, and to impact on it."
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