CWI Regional Four-Day Championships: Barbados Pride expecting ‘spin diet’ from Guyana Harpy Eagles

…says Coach Vasbert Drakes

By Brandon Corlette

Equipped with three front-line left-arm spinners and a right-arm off-spinner in their squad for the upcoming rounds of Cricket West Indies’ Regional Four-Day Championships, Guyana Harpy Eagles will oppose defending champions Barbados Pride at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad from May 18.

Gudakesh Motie

And according to the Pride’s Head Coach Vasbert Drakes, the Barbadian team is expecting a ‘spin diet’ from the Harpy Eagles.
Pride are stacked with West Indies players the likes of Shai Hope, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Shamarh Brooks, Shane Dowrich and Raymon Reifer. Kemar Roach, Chemar Holder and Shamar Springer were unavailable for selection, due to injuries.
“We, as a group, we know we have a good opposition; the (Guyanese) boys play some good cricket. Playing cricket in Trinidad is a different set of challenge. Guyana in Trinidad will come up with a lot of spinners, so we have some plans; so, let’s see,” Drakes said in a recent media briefing, while responding to this daily publication.

Shai Hope

West Indies Test spinner Veerasammy Permaul, along with Gudakesh Motie and Antony Adams, is the left-arm spinner in the squad, while Kevin Sinclair is the front-line off-spinner. With Pride being stacked with a host of right-handers, Harpy Eagles may start their campaign with the left-arm spinners.
Despite being stacked with star players, Drakes noted, the Pride unit will be playing as a team, and will not be depending on specific players. “We play as a collective (unit). It is not necessarily about specific players, it is about us playing as a team and achieving our objective,” Drakes said.
Guyana Harpy Eagles squad is comprised of: Leon Johnson (captain), Keemo Paul (vice-captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Vishaul Singh, Akshaya Persaud, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Nial Smith, Demetri Cameron, Anthony Adams, Kevin Sinclair and Ronsford Beaton.

Kraigg Brathwaite

The Barbados Pride Squad is comprised of: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Camarie Boyce, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (vice-captain/wkpr), Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chaim Holder, Shai Hope, Akeem Jordan, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Ramson Simmonds and Jomel Warrican.
Vasbert Drakes is Head Coach, Ryan Hinds is Assistant Coach, Wendell Coppin is Manager, Dr Jacqueline King is the Physiotherapist, and Jamar Layne and Alexander Forde are strength and conditioning coaches.

Veerasammy Permaul