Nedd and Sinclair: New blood in GAW rich vein of young talents

By Brandon Corlette

A few seasons ago it was Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul and Shimron Hetmyer who took the spotlight as new kids on the block for the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW).

In the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the two Guyanese who won the Regional Super50 Cup with the West Indies Emerging Players, Ashmead Nedd and Kevin Sinclair are the new blood of players that were added to a rich vein of GAW young talents that have made it to the next level. Sinclair and Nedd will be aiming to make their opportunity count when they rock the GAW armoury kit.

Ashmead Nedd eager to contribute
Nedd is no stranger to the local squad, having enjoyed a local stint with the Warriors last year. In 2020, his dream of officially being part of the local franchise came to life when he was drafted into the team.
Over the past 12 months, the 19-year-old has been making a name for himself and breaking barriers. He played for the championship-winning West Indies Emerging Players team in the Regional Super50, picking up 11 wickets in 6 games during the Under-19 World Cup. He was also drafted by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes for the Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional 4-Day tournament.
Being selected by the Warriors thus far represents the zenith of this left-arm orthodox spinner’s cricketing career. In sharing his emotions about being drafted, Nedd said, “It’s a great feeling looking at the draft and hearing my name for the first time in such a big tournament! I feel proud of myself. Over the past year, I’ve been performing really well, so I had confidence in making one of the sides.”
Speaking about how the past couple of months have been for him, Ashmead Nedd, son of National Youth Coach Garvin Nedd, shared how participation in the U-19 World Cup has prepared him for such a huge tournament as the CPL.
“It just taught me to be consistent. The hard work I’ve been doing in the nets when we have training sessions, always looking back (and) reflecting on past games, and there was an analyst there. So, it’s just the small things,” he said.
In 2019, Nedd and some other U-19 players were given the opportunity to tag along with the GAW team in Guyana. Reflecting on this experience, the youngster explained that it has taught him a lot.“Well, I’ve learnt a lot: looking at the way they prepare before games, the way they break down their innings bowling. In the field, I’ve learnt a lot, memorised it, and kept it with me.”
Being young and impressionable, Need is eager to learn from his teammates, especially outstanding ones like Imran Tahir and Chris Green. In this regard, he noted, “Well, looking at them, they’re very brave bowlers. You know, going into T20 tournaments, you have to be very brave. Just being under them, be willing to learn from them, take in as much information that you can.”
Expectedly, the 19-year-old is enthusiastic about being named in the playing XI. In the event this materialises, he wants nothing more than to contribute positively to the team’s performance.
“If given the opportunity, my role is just to keep things quiet, as it’s T20 cricket you’re playing. But at the same time, you still have to be disciplined and give the team something to work with,” he revealed.
Like any other aspiring cricketing talent, the young Ashmead Nedd is pumped and ready to officially be part of the CPL. Well, who wouldn’t be?
“I’m very excited heading into one of the biggest T20 tournaments in the world,” Nedd enthusiastically stated.

A dream come true for Kevin Sinclair
A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work for dreams to become reality. This is exactly the route Sinclair took, and now his dream has become a reality.

This Berbician reached greater heights through graduating from junior cricket with honours; dominating local cricket; playing in the Regional Super50 Cup for the championship team, West Indies Emerging Players; representing the Guyana Jaguars in the Regional 4-Day tournament, and now earning his maiden call-up for the GAW in the 2020 CPL.
Having always attended the CPL home matches at the National Stadium at Providence, Sinclair disclosed that he had always dreamed of having the opportunity to play in “the biggest party in sport”.
“As a young player, I always wanted that opportunity to be a part of it; so I am looking forward for a good tournament, and to learn as much as I can from international and some of the local players,” Sinclair posited. With CPL involving a mixture of local and international players, Sinclair sees this as a fitting opportunity to gain a wealth of knowledge.
“It is going to be a learning curve, so a young player with my mindset is (eager) to learn as much as I can from players like Ross Taylor, Imran Tahir and Chris Green. These players I would look up to, and walk away with a bag of information to add to your game so when you meet at that level, you will be able to execute your skills better,” Sinclair said.