HOW many teenagers can say they have captained their country in a sport?

Collaroy Plateau’s Mikaela Turik has that honour on her blossoming CV, after recently leading the senior Canada XI to victory at the ICC Americas T20 championship in the Cayman Islands.

The honour came from left field, but the St Luke’s Grammar student wasn’t complaining. “It was definitely a nice surprise,” she said.

“My aim was to produce with the bat and ball, so when our skipper got injured and the coaching staff asked me to take over I was shocked. We played some good cricket, it was a real buzz leading out the girls.”

Turik averaged 27 with the willow and snared two wickets in the rain-affected tournament.

Next on the agenda for Canada are the ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers against the West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka next year.

Long term, the 17-year-old has to choose between cricket and basketball.

“Unfortunately it will be near impossible to juggle both (sports) once I finish school,” she said.

“I honestly don’t know which direction I will go, both are great. I have always wanted to play college basketball in Canada, but I seem to change my long term plans almost weekly.”

“The time being I am happy to factor in both.”