Emerging players ready to don Amazon Warriors’ colours

By Brandon Corlette

Cricket West Indies’ (CWI’s) emerging players in the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) squad, Odean Smith and Keagan Simmons, are ready to play in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), ‘the biggest party in sport’.

After three days of training sessions at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence EBD, Smith and Simmons have been ‘maturing’ well with the team.
The 20-year-old Simmons, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, is a new member in the squad. He is a former West Indies Under-19 opening batsman who holds the record for the second highest score by a Windies Under-19 batsman, scoring 166 in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Speaking to this daily publication, the left-handed stroke-maker disclosed that he is eager to show his ability in the GAW colours.
In preparation mode with his new franchise, Simmons declared it easy to fit in with the team, and said he is looking forward to starting the tournament.

“Guyana has always done well, and I’m eager to show my ability at this level”, Simmons disclosed during his interview with this reporter.
There are some big names in the GAW squad, and the youngster would be aiming to capitalize on the experience he could acquire from being in the GAW group.
“Being selected in the GAW gives me that added confidence in my talent and performances (knowing they are) being recognised. I feel this is just the start (of) my cricketing career, and I feel I have a lot of developing and growing to (do to) become as good as I can become,” Simmons declared.
Simmons, who scored two centuries at the U-19 ICC showpiece, sits with an elite group of West Indies batsmen as only the third player from the Caribbean to achieve this feat; after Lendl Simmons and Kraigg Brathwaite.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Odean Smith has been involved in previous editions of the Hero CPL, wherein he played for St Lucia Stars and Jamaica Tallawahs. In his 2018 stint with the St Lucia Stars (now St Lucia Zouks), the right-arm fast bowler had a tough outing.
In this his ‘new beginning’ with the GAW, the emerging player is ready to redeem himself this season.
“I have to redeem myself with the ball, because my last CPL, in 2018 with St Lucia Stars, was not the best,” Smith explained. He added that he is eagerly waiting to get an opportunity to showcase his skills with the bat as well.
In Smith’s blooming career, he played two T20I matches for the West Indies: in April 2018 against Pakistan in Karachi, wherein he took two wickets.
Smith has been ‘turning things around’ at the Regional level, impressing the locals with his ability to bowl at 90 mph, and hitting a long ball down the order in batting.
In the 2018/19 Regional 4-Day tournament, he took 17 wickets in the eight matches he played for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.
He has thus far played nine T20 matches, and has a best bowling figure of 3-20 in 3.5 overs, while playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs against Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017.
Simmons and Smith are both talented players who would be rearing to showcase their respective abilities for the GAW in the 2019 Hero CPL.