“Cricket in Alberta schools is already there, but we need more support… support from the government of Alberta, to have an opportunity to go into schools and present the game of Cricket… worldwide the game is getting very popular… all we need is a little better infrastructure and a little bit more help.”  - Gurdeep Klair 

Gurdeep Klair, whose journey in cricket is nothing short of inspiring, started in 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta when he and his friends stumbled upon the local Cricket scene at the Mill Woods ground, however, it was already claimed by the EDCL league. Undeterred, Gurdeep formed his own team which quickly blossomed into the Challengers cricket club. Under his leadership, the club quickly expanded into five teams and his vision led him to become Vice-President, then President of the EDCL. Gurdeep then went on to work with the Alberta Cricket Association where he worked to elevate Edmonton’s cricket scene, to provincial, national, and even international levels. Gurdeep has been instrumental in pushing local talent to the World Cup stage and has helped grow the Cricket scene in Edmonton to 143 teams. Gurdeep joins TURN Sports host Navin to talk about his background in the sport, the Cricket scene at the provincial and national level, the T20 World Cup, the Champions Cup, and much more in this episode.

At the beginning of their discussion, Navin and Gurdeep talk about his background in Cricket and how he got his introduction into the sport (1:42) the process of going from 25 to 143 teams in Edmonton and getting more people playing the sport (3:05), what the Cricket scene is like in the city and whether if there are leagues going on year-round (4:30), how much more the sport of Cricket in Edmonton needs grow in order to become more mainstream (5:53), where people in Edmonton can go if they want get started playing Cricket (8:27), how the women’s side of Cricket is evolving (9:16), the Edmonton Woman’s Cricket Club (10:13), and what other steps can be taken to get the next generation involved in the sport (11:11). Next Navin and Gurdeep discuss the T20 World Cup and what it’s about (12:49), the opportunity for the T20 World Cup to grow the game as it is being held in North America (14:10), what fans should look for with Team Canada at the World Cup (16:17), what the schedule looks like for the players (17:25), the format of the World Cup (19:27), if the T20 is a good way for new fans to start getting into Cricket (20:40), the Toronto Blue Jays hosting Cricket Night at the park (22:09), and what the Champions Cup is and how it works (24:07). Finally, Gurdeep gives additional insight into the Champions Cup and its growth (26:13), and what advice Gurdeep has for the next generation of athletes (29:50). 

IG: @theuniversalradio