The much-anticipated Men’s ICC T20 World Cup of Cricket kicks off June 1 in the West Indies and the USA, with Canada making its tournament debut.

The excitement is intense for Canadian cricket fans, particularly those in the large Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and West Indian diasporas.

England is the defending champion in a powerhouse field that has grown to 20 teams, including Canada.

The ICC T20 is the shorter version of a regular cricket match.

India, always a favourite, is in Group A, with rivals Pakistan, the USA, Canada, and Ireland.

India’s First ICC T20 World Cup Match is in New York

India opens the tournament against Ireland on 5 June in New York. Four days later, they will play against Pakistan in New York.

Televised coverage starts with the tourney opener between the USA and Canada in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Sunday, June 2.

The ICC T20 final occurs in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday, June 29.

Canada Making its ICC T20 Debut

As hosts of the ICC T20, the West Indies and the USA gained automatic entry.

Like Canada, the USA plays in the tournament for the first time.

LISTEN TO THE OFFICIAL ICC T20 ANTHEM

England, Pakistan, New Zealand, India, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka earned their 2024 spots by placing in the top eight of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan and Bangladesh qualified as the two highest teams in the T20I rankings.

Regional qualifiers determined all the other spots in this year’s tournament:

1. Ireland and Scotland qualified via the European section.
2. Papua New Guinea gained entry as the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier.
3. Canada, making its T20 tournament debut, gained entry through the Americas Qualifier.
4. Nepal and Oman are the Asian qualifiers.
5. Namibia and Uganda are the African Qualifiers.

Teams in Groups Stage:

Group A – India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA

Group B – England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

Group C – New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea

Group D – South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal

The top two teams in each group advance to the Super 8s stage.

Then, the top two in each Super 8s pool advance to the semi-finals.

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Five ICC T20 Pre-tournament Favourites:

1. India – India, led by Rohit Sharma, is a perennial favourite. Their powerhouse lineup includes Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah. Their youth, experience and skill may be unmatched in this tournament. They’ll definitely be determined to regain the title from England.

2. England: The 2022 winners will be all in to defend their title. With a lineup that features Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, and Liam Livingstone, they are formidable opponents. They play an aggressive style and can adapt to their opponent and circumstances. A repeat is definitely possible.

3. Australia: Another serious contender that could win it with power hitters and superb bowlers. The Aussies, led by Mitchell Marsh, field a strong lineup that includes David Warner, Pat Cummins, and the superb Glenn Maxwell. The team from Down Under will be in it to win it to the end.

4. New Zealand: Led by captain Kane Williamson and with a lineup that includes Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Jimmy Neesham, Finn Allen, and Devon Conway, the Kiwis have experience and young talent galore. This balanced and tough team could prove a surprise at this T20.

5. South Africa: Aiden Markram leads this squad that includes Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, and David Miller. Like New Zealand, this South African team has a unique blend of experience and youth that can cause trouble for any opponent.

International Students Strengthen Canada

Canada failed to qualify for the eight previous ICC T20 World Cup tournaments.

Amjad Bajwa, the president of Cricket Canada, told CBC News that he credits the Canadian team’s recent successes to the rapid growth in international students and immigrants from South Asia and other cricket-loving regions of the world. 

“It’s still a game of immigrants because a lot of these students are coming,” he said. 

How to Watch the ICC T20 World Cup in Canada

In Canada, fans can watch all the matches via the Willow TV app. For viewers hoping to watch the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Canada for FREE, streaming is available via the Disney+ Hotstar app. Gaining access to the app may require a VPN to overcome regional limitations.

ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule

*Prepare for Canada did not use AI-generated content in writing this story; all sources are cited and credited where possible.

© Prepare for Canada 2024

Mother’s Day in Canada is a beautiful way to celebrate and appreciate mothers in your life (mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, and family friends). And it’s a great time to create special memories with children. It’s a special and important day to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all moms and show gratitude and honour. For immigrants celebrating this special day for the first time in Canada, it’s even more meaningful.

When is Mother’s Day?

Over thousands of years, many traditional celebrations of mothers and motherhood have existed throughout the world. Canada’s Mother’s Day goes back to 1907 when American school teacher Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day in honour of her late mother. 

In 1915, this day also became an official holiday in Canada and Canadians have since then celebrated this special day. The day is not a public holiday where people get time off work, but it always falls on the second Sunday of May. This year, it’s on Sunday, May 12th, 2024!

Children create handmade gifts & cards, present their mothers with flowers, and cook special breakfasts on that day. They start learning about this day in kindergarten when teachers help them make gifts and discuss ideas to celebrate. 

In Canada, kids usually call their mothers: Mom or Mum, and both spellings are correct. The American version of “Mom” is predominant, but the British version “Mum” is common as well. And of course, there are Mama, Maman, Mommy, and Mumzee, all the variations reflecting Canadian diversity. 

Grown children spend some quality time together with their mothers to make this day special. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe, everything depends on family traditions.

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My Experience

Immigrant parents do not have it easy, especially once their children start school in Canada. Trying to figure out the school system and learning school rules both spoken and unspoken, helping their children with homework, and trying to make their friends welcome at home. All this adds to the challenges of the first few years of getting settled in Canada.

Not all countries celebrate Mother’s Day, or they celebrate it differently.

I came from Europe where the closest holiday was International Women’s Day on March 8th. On this day, children present their mothers with flowers and cards as well.

My First Mother’s Day in Canada

When I immigrated 15 years ago my children started their first school year. I was overwhelmed with school & social requirements, parent responsibilities, helping kids to get through each day, and trying to make their transition to the new country as smooth as possible.

How wonderful and sweet was my first Mother’s Day. My children made beautiful cards for me and attempted to make a special breakfast too. I was very touched as any mom would be. 

There have been many celebrations since then. My children have grown up, so now we spend the holiday doing something special together. We’ll go on a hike, visit the art gallery, or have a picnic on one of Vancouver’s beaches, weather permitting. They still make beautiful cards for me which I treasure. 

As a daughter, I adopted this tradition myself and every year I spend some special time with my mother who lives in Europe on Skype on that day. And my mother thinks this is the kindest tradition reflecting Canadian culture and the importance of family ties.

For immigrant mothers, this celebration has one more meaning. As an immigrant mom, it can be a challenge. But, being part of this celebration reflects that you are integrating into life in Canada, its traditions, and society successfully. That is certainly a great feeling. 

Wishing a happy Mother’s Day to all moms! And, if this is your first Mom’s Day in Canada, enjoy this beautiful tradition. Create special memories with your children and with the moms in your life to treasure forever.

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