Alex Algoo aiming to make the most of 2019

Peek into the future

– one of the few to represent Guyana at Under-17, Under-19 in same year

By Brandon Corlette

Young Warriors may be the home of West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer and Amazon Warriors’ Gajanand Singh, but it is the home of other great ambassadors.
Alex Alvin Algoo, the hard-hitting right-handed opening batsman, will be seeking similar success as his fellow club opener Shimron Hetmyer. Speaking to Guyana Times Sport, Algoo reflected on his breathtaking local season that earned him selection to the Guyana Under-19 team.
“My 2018 season was a bit poor regionally, but locally it was good to score heavily with the bat on home soil,” Algoo told this reporter.
Born on December 21, 2018, Algoo explained that working hard in the new year is the main goal. The well-built player has also been privileged to play for Police Cricket Club, where he smashed a rare feat – hitting six sixes in six balls.
The son of Naiomee and Arjun Algoo, Alex resides at 14 West Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice. The ambitious stroke maker started playing cricket at a tender age of 13 and represented Guyana at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, in a three-year period. Berbicians recognise Algoo as a big hitter, who has the ability to change the course of the game rapidly. Currently, his highest score is 198 against a strong Port Mourant bowling line-up.
One of the many batting prospects from the Ancient County, Algoo, who bats at the top of the order, recorded one of his better centuries in the 2018 Hand-in-Hand Under-19 three-day tournament. His innings came against the Cinderella County, Essequibo, and it was half the team’s total. Rewinding the clock to the 2017 inter-county tournament, Algoo played a splendid knock where he smashed 119 that included 10 huge sixes and 9 timely fours. The knock that came against Essequibo was a career-defining knock where Algoo announced himself to all Guyanese.
Algoo told this reporter that he was striving for the best – playing cricket at the highest level and wearing the maroon colour is his ultimate goal. Unsurprisingly, Algoo emulates Shimron and Seon Hetmyer, who have both influenced the former Berbice High School student in his blooming career. In addition to the influential brothers, “I gained support from my father and great uncle to take the game of cricket seriously”, Algoo related. “My parents and my family continue to encourage me to train hard and keep in line, but my cricket coaches have all played significant roles,” he concluded.
The year 2019 will be Algoo’s final opportunity to gain selection for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, but the right hander will have to score the bulk of the runs at the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 tournament. In the 2018 CWI Regional Under-19, Algoo played one limited-over match and scored one run while he was given the opportunity to play two three-day matches. Algoo batted four innings, but his highest score was 14. The gifted power player is expecting more as the 2019 season looms and will be hoping to join the likes of Kevlon Anderson, Sachin Singh, Ashmead Need and Kevin Umroa in the West Indies Under-19 squad.