A cricketing nation on the rise: The story of World Cup hopefuls Samoa

Interestingly, the events of that record-breaking over during a stellar knock of 132(62) are not as vivid in Visser’s memory as you’d expect.

“You don’t think about what you’ve done, you typically think about what to do next,” Visser told me over a Zoom call from his home in Sydney, recollecting his innings.

What’s next for Visser, skipper Jasmat, and Samoa is a shot at glory as they aim to become one of three teams to seal qualification for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka through the combined Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier to be held in Oman from October 8.

“This is a real moment in time for Samoa and cricket in the South Pacific,” Jasmat emphasizes. “You potentially only get one such opportunity.”

“It’s four games of cricket and you can find yourself in the World Cup,” he adds.

The challenge will, undoubtedly, be massive. Out of the eight other teams in their upcoming combined Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, six are ranked at least 40 places above 69th-ranked Samoa in the ICC men’s T20I rankings, with Oman (20th) and Papua New Guinea (21st) placed in Samoa’s group.

Punching above their weight despite challenges

Like many other associate nations in cricket, Samoa also face major challenges that are a hindrance to growth. Be it the absence of professional contracts – which means that players cannot focus on cricket full-time – the lack of equipment and infrastructure for cricket on an island with a population of a little over 200,000, or the lack of more match time against top-quality opposition, among other things.

It all comes down to time and money. Samoa Cricket only have a handful of corporates on the island to even approach for funding. Competitive games are few and far between, with the squad often getting only a day or two to prepare for a tournament, given their personal and professional obligations. With team members spread over Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa, even regularly training together is not a common occurrence.

Despite it all, the team travelled all the way to Singapore in July to face Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia in a quadrangular series in preparation for the qualifiers. No doubt a highly expensive affair for the cash-strapped Samoa Cricket, but a defining experience for the team.

While they ended the tournament winless against their much higher-ranked opponents, Samoa ran each of the three teams close towards the end. Visser concluded the tour with back-to-back hundreds.

“The tournament in Singapore was a first for Samoan cricket. It was an awesome experience,” Jasmat says. “We played with teams ranked in the 20s, and by the end of it, we were competing with them.”

Those performances in a first-ever outing against quality opposition outside of their Pacific rivals, given the aforementioned lack of training time as a team, give Jasmat and the team great confidence. Add to that the experience of Taylor and Sean Solia (who also joins the team in Oman). They can also draw inspiration from the wonderful example of Samoa’s Under-19 women’s team, who earlier this year became the first team from the island nation to qualify for a cricket World Cup of any kind.

‘Maybe there is the next Ross Taylor on the South Pacific Islands ready to be unlocked’

The likes of Taylor, Visser, Jasmat, and some others got the chance to represent Samoa through a parent’s Samoan heritage. But many of the local players who have grown up in Samoa found their way to cricket through Kilikiti – a traditional Pacific Islands version of cricket.

“You can see the effects of Kilikiti on how unorthodox some of our players are,” Jasmat explains. “Traditional cricket can’t access those parts of the ground…so I think that gives us a competitive advantage.”

A form of cricket, played Samoan style. Kilikiti is said to have been introduced to Samoa in the nineteenth century by visiting sailors and missionaries.

On paper, Samoa are clearly the least likely to come out of the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier with a World Cup spot. But this team has shown the belief in the past to defy the odds. With the addition of some big names, Samoa are, as Visser says, “getting the Avengers together to have a crack at it.”

The players will, no doubt, give it their all in a bid to create further history and become the first Samoan senior cricket team to bag a World Cup spot. More importantly, just their participation in the final round of qualifying is further proof that Samoan cricket is on the rise. Inspiring a nation that will watch its cricket team compete on the world stage will be a victory in itself.

“For me, it’s trying to raise awareness,” Jasmat says intently. “Like we saw with Darius, maybe there is the next Ross Taylor who’s sitting there on one of the South Pacific nations and ready to be unlocked on the world stage.”