STEVE Smith and David Warner, welcome back to cricket.

This is the Toronto cricket ground which will play host to some of the sport’s biggest names
at the inaugural Global T20 Canada league during the next three weeks.

The Maple Leaf Cricket Club, 50 kilometres north of Toronto, is one of just two venues in

Canada approved by the ICC for international cricket after it was given the go ahead by

officials in 2006.

Maple Leaf, which was established in 1954 and has five cricket grounds, hosted two first-

class matches during the 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup as well as the 2008 Quadrangular

Twenty20 Series.

But Global T20 Canada organisers have been scrambling since April this year when Cricket

Canada and promoter Mercuri Canada conceptualised the fledgling league.

Temporary grandstands to seat 7,000 fans have been hastily erected, while there are

corporate hospitality tents for the big wigs.

However, upon inspection by the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, Maple Leaf hardly

appeared ready to stage the opening match between Smith’s Toronto Nationals and T20

superstar Chris Gayle’s Vancouver Knights on Thursday, local time.

Scaffolding, port-a-loos, temporary fencing and plenty of site rubbish were scattered

throughout the grounds with less than 24 hours before the first ball.

Brad Wadsworth, owner of Next Level Tent and Events, says his team have been working

around the clock to deliver the required flooring and temporary tent structures, as well as

helping to build the grandstands, since they were thrown the task.

“Given this is an inaugural event; things definitely came together at the last minute,”

Wadsworth said.

“The past few weeks, our guys have been putting in 60 to 80-hour weeks.

“We would consider this a little behind schedule but we will be ready for the first match.”

Smith’s ex-deputy Warner will open his Global T20 Canada campaign for the Winnipeg

Hawks when they take on the Montreal Tigers on Friday, while marquee players set to grace

the pitch include Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo and Shahid Afridi.

“There is a plan to do some tweaking as games go on over the first few days to improve the

facilities,” Wadsworth said.

“I don’t have any concerns.”

Assistant groundsman Noel Lewis also allayed fears Maple Leaf wasn’t ready.

“I’ve been here for over 15 years … this ground and this pitch are beautiful and ready to go,”

he said.

The cheap seats — depending on the match — start at $CAD30 or $50, while a VIP pass to the entire tournament has been priced at $1550.