Persaud backs Warriors’ young brigade to excel

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018

…batsman ready for the challenge

By Akeem Greene

Guyana Amazon Warriors under-23 selectee Akshaya Persaud firmly believes himself and the other young players in the squad have the ability to not just compete but produce some match winning performances at the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The stylish 20 year-old batsman was drafted by the Warriors for US $3,000 when the gala draft was held on Thursday in London. The Warriors, this year took the course to duly reward budding talents from the region which sees six players (five

of which are Guyanese) below the age of 24 being drafted in the 18-man squad.
“The youths in the squad are capable to perform at this level and if you look at the squad it’s a mixture of experience and youth. I’ll be ready whenever the opportunity presents itself. I’ve been putting in the extra hours of practice. It’s always an honour to represent Guyana whether it’s at youth or senior level”, he posited while speaking to Guyana Times Sport on Sunday.
Since 2014, the versatile player who also bowls left-arm spin has been a part of the Warriors unit as a developmental player at the local encampment which gives him high confidence he will fuse well with his teammates and absorb as much information possible to enhance his cricketing IQ.
“Being part of the actual warrior’s squad this year is a really good feeling. I’m looking forward to learn as much as I can from my teammates. Touring with the team will expose me to different playing conditions, different match situations and different venues so that my all round game will improve. Sharing a dressing room with the international and regional stars will benefit me a lot”.
His selection should not come as a surprise to many since for the past two years in the Cricket Guyana Inc three-day league he has been the prized possession for West Demerara where he amassed 941 runs in 13 matches with three hundreds

and four fifties, at an average of 52 while captaining the franchise.
But the man from Cornelia Ida who made his First-Class debut against Jamaica Scorpions in Kingston last year admitted there were some nerves on draft-day.
“I checked my phone to see if the draft was finished or not then I saw the players they [Warriors] drafted. After the 16th round I didn’t see any further updates so I thought the draft was finished. A few minutes later I got the news I was drafted in the last round. I was really happy at that moment. I called my parents and told them about the good news because without them a lot of things wouldn’t have been possible in my career”.
The former Windies under-19 selectee added, “Since I finished my youth level cricket, I’ve been working harder and on my game. What brought me success is that I stick to the basics, put in my extra hours of practice, work on my fitness and body strength, stay disciplined, focused, self-confidence and determination”. Five years, three finals and still no championship to show, the Everest Cricket club player is full of confidence in his contention that fortunes can change if they stick to the plan. “The team always bond well together. I think we just have to finish the job [by winning the title]. If you look at our team this year it’s a balanced one and once each player give their 100% and understand their roles in the team and stick to the plan we can win the title this year”.
The sixth edition of the “Biggest Party in Sport” will be staged from August 8 to September 16 and the finals for the next three years will be held at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.