Jeremy Gordon Swaps Banking for Bowling as Canada Takes on U.S. in T20 World Cup

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Jeremy Gordon, a 37-year-old senior support analyst at Scotiabank in Toronto, has traded his suit for cricket gear to represent Canada at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Gordon, known for his ability to bowl at speeds up to 140 km/h, will lead Canada’s bowling attack alongside fast bowler Kaleem Sana.

Canada faces co-host U.S. in the opening match on Saturday at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, located just 20 kilometres west of Dallas. Canadian batsman Nicholas Kirton praised Gordon’s speed and highlighted Sana’s ability to swing the ball effectively. Both bowlers aim to catch batsmen off guard with their pace and movement.

Following the match against the 18th-ranked U.S., Canada, ranked 23rd, will play against No. 11 Ireland on June 7 and No. 6 Pakistan on June 11 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The Canadians will wrap up Pool A play against top-ranked India on June 15 at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Florida.

Canada and the U.S. share a historical cricket rivalry dating back to 1844, when Canada won the first-ever international cricket match by 23 runs in New York. This T20 World Cup marks the debut for both teams in the 20-team, 55-game tournament running through June 29 in the U.S. and West Indies.

Thanks to full-time contracts from Cricket Canada, players like Gordon have been able to focus solely on their game. “It’s a momentous occasion for the country, players, everyone involved,” said Gordon. “We strongly believe that we can compete with those guys.”

Despite heavy rain canceling their final warm-up game against the Netherlands, the Canadian team remains optimistic. Players Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, and Rayyan Pathan, who suffered minor injuries during a warm-up match against Nepal, are fit for the game against the U.S.

Gordon, originally from Guyana, moved to Canada in 2007 and made his national team debut in 2012. Kirton, born in Barbados to a Montreal-born mother, joined the Canadian team in 2017 and has been instrumental in recent successes. Led by captain Saad Bin Zafar, the team secured their T20 World Cup spot by winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Region Final against Bermuda.

Canada’s cricket team has shown impressive form in both T20 and one-day (50-over) formats. They regained their one-day international status by finishing in the top four at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff in Namibia in April 2023.