Jaguars name strong 14-man squad for Regional Super50

– Beaton, Foo included

By Akeem Greene

In a bid to win their end their 12 year title drought, the national selectors have named arguably their strongest 14-man squad to represent Guyana in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Super50 which is slated to commence on January 24 in Barbados and Antigua.

The big surprise in the group is talented fast bowler Ronsford Beaton who managed to make the cut after he was reportedly aligned with the Leeward Island Hurricanes but was still training with the Guyana Jaguars.

From the 2016 squad there are five changes as the Jaguars hunt Regional 50-overs supremacy. Missing out are fast bowler Romario Shepherd, opener Kevon Boodie, left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, all-rounder Royston Crandon and batsman Vishaul Singh while Beaton, all-rounder Jonathan Foo, hard hitting left handed top order batsman Shimron Hetmyer and West Indies players opener Rajendra Chandrika and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Guyana Times Sport contacted Chairman of the National Selectors Rayon Griffith, he explained that “Beaton was named in our training squad and no communication between the Leeward Islands Cricket Association and the GCB [Guyana Cricket Board] occurred nor did Beaton tell us of any or made any commitment.”

His selection comes as a result of his excellent performances in the shorter version of the game, especially his impressive West Indies A team tour to Sri Lanka where he played three 50-over matches, capturing seven wickets bowling at high pace.

The lanky right-arm seamer will be a great asset to the Jaguars considering the usually bouncy and seaming conditions that should be expected in Barbados for the preliminary matches then at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua for the play-offs and final.

Another players making a return to the squad is Jonathon Foo who lasted played for Guyana in 2011 and will have a chance to add to his three List A matches after having a successful outing in the Jaguars Franchise League 3-day where he scored 580 runs, inclusive of two centuries.

The Berbician, who shot to the headlines in 2010 when he won the Caribbean T20 title for Guyana in a trilling final against Barbados, saw his career tapered-off when his short-ball troubles were exposed during the Champions League T20 in South Africa the same year.

After some time in the hiatus, the player retuned to become one of the most consistent performers in the various domestic tournaments and the hard hitting right-hand batsman could be the additional firepower the team needs to support the likes of wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble and all-rounders Christopher Barnwell and Raymon Reifer on their title quest.

The squad will be led by the experienced Leon Johnson, who will be in search of his first 50-over title to add to the two he already have at the four-day level. Last tournament, Johnson only managed 153 runs but the skipper and his team have voiced that they are determined to win this championship and a good showing with the bat should be expected from the West Indies player.

In support, will be the team’s leading run-scorer from last season, Assad Fudadin who made 259 runs at an average of 51.80, inclusive of an unbeaten 103 against the Combined Colleges and Campuses Marooners. Additionally, Test player Rajendra Chandrika and the dashing Shimron Hetmyer should give the Jaguars the impetus at the top of the innings while veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul should hold the middle and lower orders together.

The bowling will be led by dependable spin twins Veerasammmy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo while the nippy Paul Wintz will serve as support with his accurate swing bowling, along with off-spinner Steven Jacobs.

Weather permitting, the squad will resume training on Monday at the National Stadium, Providence under the direction of Head Coach Esuan Crandon and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith.

Jaguars are in Zone ‘B’ with Barbados Pride, Jamaica Scorpions, CCC Marooners and ICC Americas. In the first leg, Jaguars will play Pride on January 24, Scorpions on January 26, Marooners on January 28, and ICC Americas on January 30.

In the second leg, the Guyanese takes on the Marooners February 3, Pride on February 5, Scorpions on February 7, and ICC Americas on February 9.

The semi-finals would be on February 15 and 16 while the final would be on February 18. See full fixtures on page 22

Group “A” consists of defending champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, Kent Spitfires, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, West Indies Under-19s, and Windward Islands Volcanoes.

The Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice-Captain), Anthony Bramble (wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Rajendra Chandrika, Steven Jacobs, Assad Fudadin, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, and Jonathan Foo. The Coach is Esuan Crandon, Asst. Coach/Manager is Rayon Griffith and the Physio is Ernesto Gonzalez.