Mamatha Maben has embarked on a four-year plan to beef up the “bones” talent pool in Hong Kong women’s cricket, with a view to competing for honors at the 2031 Asian Games.
At the helm for almost six months, Maben found satisfaction in Thursday’s 31-run win over Malaysia at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground, after starting his reign with a 2-2 draw against the opposition in December.
“Credit to the players, when we started in Malaysia they looked like a club,” Maben said. “We are not where we want to be, but we are also not where we were.”
The latest meeting with Malaysia was Hong Kong’s first match of a three-match series, also featuring China, which is the final preparation for the 2026 Asian Games qualifiers starting on May 23.
Currently ranked 23rd in the world, Hong Kong are drawn with hosts Malaysia, ranked 28th, and world number 12 Thailand in the eight-day, seven-team tournament that will give them three places at the Games later this year.
Estimating that eligibility rules would leave him without about 60 percent of his first-choice squad, Maben said he was “honest” about Hong Kong’s qualification chances.
