Percival confident trio named in West Indies training squad will do well

By Ravi Madholall

Andre Percival, the victorious coach of the Berbice Senior Inter-County Female team in the just concluded Guyana Cricket Board competition, is highly-confident the three players named for the upcoming encampment will do well.

Shemaine Campbelle, Tremayne Smartt and Erva Giddings have been selected by the West Indies selectors to be a part of the 20-member squad in preparations for this year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) 50-over World Cup to be held in England later 2017. Percival vehemently feels with the way these girls are plying their trade, having performed consistently, they should all be selected to head for another global event.

Both Campbelle and Smartt were in the West Indies women’s team that won the T20 World Cup last year and Percival stated that was a great accomplishment by the pair and confident Giddings could be added to the list this time in their quest for the 50-over triumph.

“Well, I [am] very confident these ladies can make us proud again; of course Shemaine and Tremayne are regular members on the team and Giddings has justified her call-up now and I am also hopeful all three will be in the final squad to be at the World Cup tournament,” the former Guyana player Percival declared.

Percival, who also coached the national women’s team for the past five consecutive years, mentioned that the players would have taken out lots of positives from the inter-county tournament. All of them had some excellent performances, highlighting Campbelle’s magnificent unbeaten century against Demerara in the final at Bourda last Sunday. This is wonderful motivation for them, according to Percival.

“I think the inter-county competition was a solid foundation but I think you need more games so more players can be exposed; however, these three cricketers have done well and I am sure they would continue to do well if selected for the final touring squad to England,” the former Guyana Under-19 successful skipper related.

Campbelle made her international debut in 2009 and since then she has featured in an astonishing 71 one-day internationals for the Regional side, scoring 878 runs inclusive of a hundred. Smartt, like Campbelle also started to represent West Indies in 2009 and appeared in 55 games, while Giddings recently made her first two international appearances.

Percival also spoke about the players’ work ethic and not surprised they have continued to make steady impression when executing their game.

Campbelle is known for her batting flamboyance and also proved her wicket-keeping capability. Smartt is a fast-bowler and has shown consistency with the bat, while Giddings is a fantastic developing all-rounder, mainly a quickie.

Percival also took the opportunity to say that all three players are great assets to Guyana‘s team that frequently participating in the Regional tournament. He commented that even though Guyana have been able to make a huge impression, the players have shown outstanding consistency.

Guyana, of course, will once again be taking part in April when the tournament is tentatively set to be held in St Vincent and Grenadines with Trinidad and Tobago ladies the defending victors.

The squad reads; Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Erva Giddings, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Shaquana Quintyne, Tremayne Smartt, Shakera Selman and Stafanie Taylor.