The Mc Gill Superstars Sports Club have completed a successful tour of Barbados, emerging with three victories and two losses.
Mc Gill walked away with a 3-2 tour result
And although the sixth game, against the Barbados Defence Force, was washed out, McGill batsman Travis Persaud has said he is grateful for the outing and experience the team has received.
Ganesh Puran walked away with 9 wickets, with a best of 4-25
In an exclusive interview with this publication, Persaud detailed the team’s journey, the challenges they faced, and what they learnt in walking away with a 3-2 result. Persaud said, “I think the tour went fairly well. We won three of the five games, and it was tough for me, and for the other guys it was more difficult. Some of them never played cricket in Barbados, as the tracks are pacey and bouncy compared to those in Guyana. I still think we did a fairly good job (in) coming back with three wins and two losses.
“Having said that, I think we could have won one more game, which was against Wanderers, but I think we threw that one away. But, overall, I think we had a good tour.”
Prahalad Singh scored 129 runs from his four matches, with a high score of 97
Persaud noted that one of the high points of the tour was the team’s victory over Cupid Cavaliers, the 2022 T20 champions in the intermediate and secondary divisions.
In regard to what the team could have improved on, Persaud explained that batting was a major factor. While the team did record excellent performances with the ball, they lacked same in batting, which shows that adapting to conditions around the world is not easy. Nevertheless, it is his belief that the team could have done better with the bat.
Further, he mentioned that adapting to conditions was key, and the team did not adapt to conditions as well as they thought they would, but despite failures, he still believes they performed well, giving one hundred percent effort on the field.
Mc Gill batsman Travis Persaud
Question on what is next for the team, Persaud relayed that, at this point in time, things are uncertain, due to the weather in Guyana. However, he noted that, as of now, the team would go back to the drawing board and fix “the little kinks in their armour” and head out to win another title for the club.
While the team is patiently waiting on the weather, Persaud said, they would be putting in as many net sessions as are possible, and members would be engaging in personal training to keep in top condition.
“I think it was a great exposure for the guys,” he declared. “Many times, we talk about adapting to different conditions locally, so it was nice for them to experience the different conditions in Barbados. That way, it will help them to adapt and become versatile in any condition; so, I think the exposure has done them well. Some of them have matured, they are like sponges, they sucked up everything they (could) in Barbados; so, coming back here, we expect a lot from them, especially some of the younger guys who toured for the first time. So, I hope they can take whatever they learnt and put it into practice in Guyana, and go out and be successful.”
At the end of the five-match tour, the award for most runs was given to Prahalad Singh, who blasted 129 runs from his four innings, with a high score of 97. The award for most wickets was given to Ganesh Puran, who bagged 9 wickets from five games, with a best of 4-25. Other notable performances came from Narendra Persaud, who scored 40 and bagged 3-5 against Barbados Police Force; Travis Persaud, who scored 43 and took 3-23 against Barbados Defence Force; and Abdul Razack, who scored 47 against UWI.
The executives and members of the Mc Gill Super Stars SC would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to their sponsors, as, without them, the tour would not have been possible. The sponsors are SP Construction, NAMILCO, Farm Supplies, Genequip; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Anand Persaud, Nankishore Persaud, Deodat Persaud, Ganesh Persaud; Ramroop Parsram, Jagat Parsram; Liloutie Bahadur; Shines Beepat, Amanda Beepat, Karan Beepat; Rocky Goordeen, Nick, Anil, Randy, David, Keeno and Shanna Manram; Rameshwar Persaud, Gangaram Lochand, Rockey Persaud and Anil Beharry.
Additionally, Guyanese based in Barbados were very hospitable to the Mc Gill Super Stars SC. The club extends many thanks to businessman Mr. Biso, Mr. Bacchus, Mr. Ram Singh, and numerous other individuals who made their stay in Barbados a memorable and comfortable one.
