Canada will be competing in their fourth World Cup

Canada qualified for the 2011 World Cup by finishing as runners-up in the 2009 qualifying tournament in South Africa.

Poor form has followed - they finished fifth out of six teams in ICC World Cricket League Division One in July last year, but they twice defeated Kenya, the other associate side in their group.

A number of one-sided losses are likely to lie in store, but the Canadians know that their mere participation provides the tournament with an important link to cricket's past - their game in the United States in 1844 was the first ever international match.

Canada compete in their fourth World Cup in 2011, having previously participated in 1979, 2003, and 2007. Their solitary victory came over Bangladesh in 2003, but their finest hour came later in the same tournament when John Davison smashed 111 off 67 balls in a losing effort against West Indies, which was at the time the fastest century in the tournament's history.

India-born wicketkeeper-batsman Ashish Bagai turned his back on a banking career in London to become a full-time professional cricketer. If the Canadians are to enjoy any tiny measure of success, then much will depend on the 28-year-old. His batting will be crucial in what is likely to be a brittle top order, his keeping will need to cover up the mistakes of his team-mates and his captaincy will involve picking his side up from some heavy defeats.

To put it simply, John Davison is Canada's greatest cricketer of all time. The 40-year-old, raised in Australia, takes his place in the squad despite initially withdrawing over the omissions of Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff. His hard-hitting batting and tidy off-breaks are likely to be at the heart of any good cricket the Canadians play.

Canada have warmed up for the World Cup by playing in the Caribbean World Twenty20 and will be buoyed by the win they earned over Hampshire. Bagai's men will be targeting the game with Kenya as their most realistic hope of earning a victory, with avoiding humiliation the primary objective in the other group games.

Canada squad: Ashish Bagai (capt & wk), Rizwan Cheema (vice-capt), Harvir Baidwan, Khurram Chohan, John Davison, Parth Desai, *Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Jimmy Hansra, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Balaji Rao, Zubin Surkari, Hamza Tariq, Karl Whatham.

*Tyson Gordon is awaiting confirmation of Canadian citizenship, so 16 players have been named

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