A view over the cricket ground in Poços De Caldas

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

CRICKET coach Liam Cook is due to fly home from South America this week after an extended stint coaching the Brazilian ladies cricket team.

Cook, who played for Exmouth and went through the Devon coach education system in Exeter, was recruited by Brazil while they were in London during 2019 to compete in the Street Cricket World Cup. Click here for full story

After the Brazilian team returned home Cook was contacted about some more coaching to prepare the squad for further tournaments, which include the 2020 ICC Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Cook went to Brazil earlier this year for an extended spell with the squad and flew out again in August for another round of coaching.

The 32-year-old former Exmouth Community College student expected to be back in the UK in October, but Covid-19 rules and regulations put paid to that.

Liam CookInstead of cooling his heels in Brazil he stayed on at the training base in Poços De Caldas and carried on coaching the 14-strong squad.

“I still have a business in the UK (TOP Cricket Academy) and was scheduled to return in October,” said Cook.

“When the tiered system and lockdown became a reality in the UK it meant that we were very limited with what the academy could do so I extended my stay in Brazil.”

Brazil hit the headlines in the early days of the Corona Virus pandemic for its spiralling infection rates, but Poços De Caldas avoided the worst of the outbreak.

“At the height of the pandemic the mayor stopped anyone from outside the city entering, which meant it never really took off here and Poços De Caldas has had very low numbers of Covid cases,” said Cook.

“When I landed I was tested and was in isolation until it came back negative.

“We have had regular tests and training has been conducted under strict regulations. No one in the team has had Covid.”

Cook’s squad has a series of tournaments lined up between now and 2022. They have been getting match practice in against the Brazil under-17 boys’ team.

Said Cook: “These fixtures have been great training exercises and kept the players playing when most of the world isn’t able to.

“We are hoping to travel to Argentina for a Twenty20 series in the early part of 2021, dependent on Covid.”

The Argentina tour is part of the preparations for a busy schedule later in the year.

“The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Americas qualifiers are scheduled for early September when we will be playing against Argentina, Canada and USA,” said Cook. 

“If we are successful we will then have to play in the second qualifying stage against the winners of all the regional qualifiers.

“It would be a dream to qualify for South Africa, but we are taking it one step at a time.”

Cricket may be an emerging sport in Brazil, but Cook said the locals in Poços De Caldas have become fans in a short time.

“People are genuinely proud that the cricket centre is in the city. They say things like: 'When we qualify for the World Cup, everyone will know about Pocos’,” said Cook.

“The real living the dream will be going to the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers next year, wearing our kit, putting everything we've worked on into action. Hopefully we'll surprise a few people

“The England and Australia players are so well known here. The dream for our players would be to step on the pitch with Heather Knight or Meg Lanning.”

One definite date for Cook and his team is the South American Championships in later this year.

Brazil are the current South American champions, having won a tournament including Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico in 2019.

“We will be hosting the tournament in Rio and attempting to defend our title,” said Cook. “There are very exciting times ahead.”

The Brazil squad with their coaches. Liam is third from the right in the back row.