ExxonMobil Guyana GSL T20: ‘Definitely want to win it the first time’ – Paul

When the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 tournament bowls off on November 26th, the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) Franchise would be looking to add another accolade to their trophy case.
This is according to Guyanese all-rounder Keemo Paul, who, during a virtual engagement on Friday, revealed that the local franchise is ‘super excited’ for the international competition.
“It’s a new tournament. Obviously, our franchise remains the same. I’m looking forward to this tournament. Except for the CPL, we haven’t had like a T20 tournament in the region for a long, long time. So, I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m super excited, and all of the guys in the Amazon Warriors camp (are) excited also. We’re just happy to be back together once again representing Guyana,” Paul, who is currently in Trinidad and Tobago with the Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) team, related via the Zoom platform.

This player, who hails from Saxacalli, an Essequibo riverine community, has also set some big goals for himself. He is already eyeing the player-of-the-tournament award, and responded to inquiries about his personal aspirations for the tournament by stating, “Like you said, I would definitely like to be back in the West Indies set-up sometime or the other. This tournament coming up, or even the tournament that I’m playing now, I just want to get back, get match ready, and put in some performances. So, coming in to the Global Super League, I definitely want to make a statement.
“I didn’t have the best of CPLs, so I definitely want to bounce back from that. I want to contribute with bat, with ball, and hopefully be the man-of-the-tournament. That’s the goal that I’ve set myself, so once I get the opportunity to play, I will take it with both hands and I will contribute,” the all- rounder went on to add.
Though it is a new competition, Paul is urging the Guyanese populace to support the event, which would see four other teams from around the globe competing for a US$1million prize pool.
“A lot of people, they don’t know what to expect as yet, but from our side of things, from the Warriors family, you could always expect good cricket. You know we’ll always put on a show for you. So, I want to just encourage them to come out, support, it will be lots of fun. There (are) really good teams, really good players in this tournament, and it’s going to be a good tournament,” Paul said in a word to fans.
The Guyanese cricketer further stated, “Obviously, we want to win; but, like winning, everything is a process. The process starts from our training camp, and we just take it from there. We didn’t win the final in the CPL. That’s how it goes sometimes, but it’s a new tournament, it’s playing at home, and we definitely want to win it for the first time.”
While online tickets are already available for the event at gslt20.com, physical tickets would go on sale tomorrow at the Camp Street Box office in Georgetown, as well as at five other locations in Berbice and Essequibo.