CENTURION (South Africa), Feb 21: Canada’s Nick de Groot will take guard against West Indies in World Cup Group ‘B’ on Sunday with limited ambitions.

Hitting the ball would be nice. Scoring a run, though, considering his recent record, might be to expect too much.

The unfortunate 27-year-old right-handed batsman has made three ducks in his three innings in the tournament.

He has faced 10 deliveries in all, putting bat to ball five times — once to give a catch — during 21 torrid minutes at the crease.

De Groot was the only team member not to trouble the scorers in the shock win over Bangladesh or the four-wicket defeat by Kenya.

At least he was not so isolated against Sri Lanka, when six batsmen failed to get off the mark as the Canadians were skittled for 36, a world-record One-day International low.

De Groot, though, is no mug with the bat, as some of his opponents on Sunday will know.

Born in Ontario, he learnt his cricket in Guyana and played as an opening batsman for the island.

Selected at youth level for West Indies, he also played against the touring Australians in 1994-5, top-scoring with 23 in the first innings before recording a first-ball duck in the second.

West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Roger Harper, the team coach, both played in that Guyana side.

De Groot, having failed to establish himself, finally threw in his lot with Canada in 2001.

He top-scored with 419 runs in that year’s ICC Trophy in Toronto and was at the wicket when Canada beat Scotland in Toronto to qualify for the World Cup.

At least De Groot is not totally alone in his struggles.

Namibia’s Gerrie Snyman, a swing bowler and a pinch-hitting batsman who hammered 85 against Kenya in November, has made it to the crease against Pakistan and England, only to return to the pavilion one ball later on each occasion.—Reuters