For a young Drumheller family, the game of cricket has become a passion, and they are sharing with the next generation.
Sasidharan Sivam has always had a love of cricket. In Ceylon (Sri Lanka) he grew up playing the game and even played on his school house team with hopes of pursuing the game at a higher level. In fact, a few of his schoolmates had gone on to play at the national level.
Unfortunately, an accident on the pitch dashed his dreams. He did, however, plan that if he had a child, he would pass on his knowledge and love for the sport.
While not as popular as many sports in North America, cricket has a long history being played first in Europe and then spreading to the British colonies. Today is popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the West Indies.
Cricket is a ball and bat game played by two different 11 member teams who play through two innings each, with each player the opportunity at-bat. The batting side scores runs by striking the ball, and the bowling and fielding side attempts to dismiss each batter by dislodging the bails, or by catching the hit ball before it hits the ground. Test Cricket, considered the purest form of the game, has matches that last five days. The modern game, however, has different match designs and duration.
Sasi says cricket is one of the most disciplined sports and emphasizes sportsmanship and fair play. Of course, like all sports, passion plays a role.
Sasi’s son Shamrudann has taken up a love for the sport. At one and a half, he had his first toy bat, and today he can name players who are stars going back over the generations. It is a common sight to see Sasi, his wife Harshini, and Sham at the field in Bankview working on Sham’s game. He has all of the equipment and Sasi pitches ball at him to work on his hitting and defense.
Sham also keeps busy learning about the game by watching it on YouTube. He watches new and old matches dating back generations as well as the modern game and skill training videos. His favourite players include Vivian Richards and Garfield Sobers from the West Indies, Virat Kohli, and Kapil Dev from India.
At seven years old, Sham is the age where he has the opportunity to begin to play competitively. Sasi says he has registered with the Calgary and District Cricket League, which has youth programs, however, because if COVID-19, they weren’t able to continue with the season. Sham is determined to make the team when the opportunity becomes available and is putting a solid effort into his training. President of Calgary and District Cricket League, S.Khan, continues to offer insights to improve his game, including working on defense, which means protecting the wicket.
While it might not be as popular as hockey or baseball, Sasi says there are leagues in Calgary and Edmonton and have development programs going right up to the national team.
Sham loves the sport and can recite the top players and record-breaking players from memory. He loves to watch all the international cricket teams and players from all over the world. In the meantime, he continues to learn and work on his game.

The Conservative Party of Canada has elected a new leader; the Hon. Erin O’Toole. Erin brings a fresh voice, strong leadership, and ambitious goals for Canada’s Conservatives, including uniting Canadians from many diverse backgrounds throughout all regions of our country.
This past week I had a productive conversation with Mr. O’Toole, and I can say he is already exceeding my expectations. He has a positive plan to get our nation back on track, restore confidence and respect in our democratic institutions, and ensure Canada is respected around the world. He assured me my views and the views of my constituents will be valued and protected in the caucus he leads. He also clearly demonstrated he understands the roots of western alienation and the importance of the energy industry and agriculture to Canadians.
Erin has strong leadership skills and an ethical sense of character that was developed during his twelve years in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Flight Officer. He rose to the rank of Captain before retiring and joining the private sector where he worked for more than a decade. Most recently, he has spent more than 7 years in Parliament, including serving as a Cabinet Minister in 2015 under Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He has also held a number of high-profile positions in the opposition.
Throughout the leadership campaign Erin proposed bold ideas for our nation, and it is exciting to see those plans being put into action. I am truly eager to begin introducing Erin and the Conservative plan to Canadians, so everyone can compare and contrast it to the scandal, waste, and mismanagement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.
I would also like to thank Andrew Scheer for his service as the Leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada. Despite stepping down as leader, he continued to work tirelessly to ensure the Party was left in good hands and the transition to a new leader was a smooth one. It was an honour to serve with him as leader and I look forward to continuing to work with Andrew in Parliament.
The Conservative Party is moving forward united and strong. And that was made evident by the other candidates who also ran for leadership. I would be amiss if I didn’t also thank them: Dr. Leslyn Lewis, Peter Mackay, and Derek Sloan. We are a Party of diverse beliefs, ideas, and backgrounds that represent what it is to be a Conservative. Erin is already been hard at work making sure that the Official Opposition is ready the moment Parliament returns on Sept 23rd. Lastly, he has begun one of the most important tasks, introducing himself to all Canadians. I believe Canadians will like what they see.
If you have any questions about Erin O’Toole, or need assistance with Federal Government supports and programs, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff and I are here to help.