California [USA], March 10 (ANI): Cricket Canada and USA Cricket have announced plans for the return of the annual Auty Cup in July this year.
Canada will host the USA in a 50 Overs series to be played from July 26-30.
“Pending final approval of the Canadian health authorities the 2021 Auty Cup will be played in Canada from July 26-30 at a venue to be determined later. The Auty Cup series will be played directly after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier, which Canada is hosting from July 17-23, 2021,” USA Cricket said in a statement.
Reputed to be the first and longest-running international sporting fixture of any type, the Auty Cup Trophy is an international cricket series played between Canada and the United States, hosted alternately by Cricket Canada and USA Cricket. After a 17 year gap, the Auty Cup returned in 2011 and has been played across a variety of formats.
The Auty Cup series will serve as ideal preparation for Canada and the USA in the 50 Overs format with both countries having had no international cricket for more than 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada will be preparing for their ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League series in August 2021, while the USA will be preparing for their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series in the same month.
Raspal Bajwa, Cricket Canada President, said, “After an incredibly difficult 12 months or so for all cricketing nations, we are very pleased to be able to have a strong summer of cricket to look forward to in 2021. We are looking forward to renewing rivalries in the Auty Cup and host our neighbours in USA Cricket directly after the T20 World Cup Qualifier this summer.”
The newly re-appointed USA Cricket Chairman, Paraag Marathe, said, “We would like to thank our friends at Cricket Canada for hosting the return of the Auty Cup in 2021. The deep history and heritage of cricket across North America is something we both hold very dearly and we are excited to have been able to find a window to reinstate our local and historic rivalry for the Auty Cup.”
Cricket Canada and USA Cricket also explained that further discussions were ongoing about the prospect of extending the USA vs Canada rivalry to also include regular fixtures between the respective Women’s and Youth teams in 2021 and beyond. (ANI)