Gus Logie appointed Canada coach

Former West Indies batsman Gus Logie, has been appointed Canada coach. Logie, who last coached Bermuda before quitting them three years ago, returns to coach Canada after nine years.

Logie led Canada during the 2003 World Cup, before guiding West Indies to the 2004 Champions Trophy triumph. In 2005, he signed a long-term coaching deal with Bermuda but left them in 2009 after criticising the team. He then took over as Jamaica coach.

Logie will begin his Canada tenure from the ICC Intercontinental Cup and ICC World Cricket League Championship in July.

"Our vision is to produce in Canada a 'Championship Team' with technical skill and the mental and tactical awareness to compete at the highest level by developing the mind to win, the will to succeed, and the confidence to make it happen," Logie said.

Cricket Canada vice president and high performance manager, Vimal Hardat, said Logie would be given time to make his concepts work. "Gus is a true champion who has a habit of winning as a member of the champion West Indies team in 80s and as a coach, by leading West Indies to the 2004 Champions Trophy," Hardat said. "We have huge confidence in Gus and his coaching capabilities. He comes in with great knowledge and we will give him time to settle in with his ideas to help us achieve the target of being a leading Associate country."

Canada failed to qualify for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, finishing sixth in the qualifying tournament.

International cricket ready for another tryst with USA

Americans have previously claimed PG Wodehouse is American. Over the next two days, the claim they'll lay to a sport Wodehouse wrote extensively and endearingly on will be of a slightly different nature. It will mostly come from those who have moved to America from cricketing nations, and the Caribbean people have a big presence in Florida. Which is why it makes more sense to have New Zealand - a team committed to development of cricket in US - play West Indies, unlike the last time when Sri Lanka and New Zealand failed to draw big crowds in 2010.

Also, unlike the last time, the organisers will hope for more encouragement from the conditions. New Zealand Cricket did send one of their best groundsmen to inject some life into the slow and low pitches that made for dull cricket the first time around. Jacob Oram, though, is of the view the pitch hasn't changed much. It will obviously take them time to get pitch preparation right in Florida, but it is arguable how much dull contests - with stroke-making difficult and little help for bowlers - will help spread the game there.

New Zealand won't complain about the slow and low conditions, though, because they should level the playing field a little. West Indies are the clear favourites on paper, with Chris Gayle and the many allrounders in their squad. New Zealand, on the other hand, are without Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and James Franklin. A slow and low pitch can help neuter the big hitters to an extent, and those saved and scampered singles will become more important if the T20s there from two years ago are any indication.

This will also be one of the final chances for the two sides to identify their combinations for the World Twenty20 to be held in Sri Lanka.