Harpy Eagles gear up for revamped CWI 4-Day season

…Hercules confident in preparations

With the 2026 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional 4-Day Tournament set to bowl off on April 12, Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) Head Coach Ryan Hercules has expressed confidence in his team’s preparations, even as the competition adopts a significantly-revised format.
The upcoming tournament has been resized into a more compact version, featuring fewer teams owing to financial challenges faced by CWI. As part of the restructuring, teams such as the West Indies Academy (WIA) and Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) have been removed from this year’s competition, with players returning to their respective territorial franchises.
Guyana’s preparations have already begun, with a pool of local players completing two practice matches over the past week. While the games produced low scores, Hercules noted that the sessions were still beneficial in terms of assessing the squad.

“After completing the two practice matches… definitely, you know some things that we didn’t look at. With the challenges of the surface, you know; wasn’t one of the best, but nevertheless, you know, we did play the two matches. We’ve seen guys getting into a groove of things, so definitely some positives to take away,” Hercules explained.
He acknowledged the batting struggles, but stressed that the issues identified would be addressed as preparations intensify.
“There were some low scores, but nevertheless, it’s something that we would have pinpointed… and when the group itself and the squad itself comes together, we know how we go about with our stuff in the next sessions,” he added.
Hercules also confirmed that fitness testing is scheduled for this week, followed by more focused squad preparations ahead of the team’s departure for the tournament.
The Coach divulged, “Fitness testing will be this week… obviously that’s something that we pay really keen attention to and then we get into our squad preparation before we leave.”
The revised tournament format marks a departure from previous editions, where teams competed in a straightforward points-based system across a longer schedule. Despite the changes, Hercules maintained that the team’s mindset remains unchanged.
“In terms of the tweak in the tournament look, we still have to play cricket no matter what changes there are. There’s a cricket match that presents itself… where you can go there, you can showcase the talent and the skills to the selectors,” he stated.
Hercules went on to add, “So that’s the main objective for us no matter what happens in terms of how the format changes. We have to play cricket… we’ll go a game at a time… we won’t get complacent.”
Looking ahead, Hercules believes the Harpy Eagles possess the experience and youthful energy needed to remain competitive, but emphasised that execution will be key.
“We do have the know-how in terms of how we go about… getting good results from our games. I cannot predict what can happen in the future… but what I can say, we will definitely be giving it our 100 per cent,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of maximising opportunities in a shortened tournament.
“You can play four games, you can play five games… so you still get some games in, but I do encourage the guys to make sure whatever game they get to play, they make the best of that opportunity… to make it count.”
Hercules further noted that strong performances could open doors at the regional and international levels.
“You could look to stake a claim in the West Indies international team… either red ball or white ball format, so just make the best of that opportunity,” he urged.
With final preparations ongoing, the Harpy Eagles Coach expressed optimism that the team would be ready to deliver when the competition begins.
“We are pretty much eager and ready… before we travel, we’ll be ready to go there and play good cricket, play our brand of cricket that we have been playing for Guyana for the past few years. Once we do the right thing… remain focused… I think we will get success.”