RBL CPL 2023: Paul confident as Warriors, Patriots battle today

By Brandon Corlette

The Guyana Amazon Warriors men’s team will be in action against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots today, Saturday September 2, from 10:00h local time, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
All-rounder Keemo Paul is confident that the Warriors team would pull off their third win this season and remain unbeaten.
Having scored his second half-century, Paul has credited former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir for the improvements he has shown with the bat.
“It felt good. I always felt that I am a talented cricketer, and it was always a mental battle for me. Reflecting on it, there is a few people that I want to thank: being my family, and Gautam Gambhir (the Indian legend). He keeps in contact with me, and it is good that a legend of the game keeps in contact with you and motivates you; so, I want to give him thanks,” Paul has said.
Paul, from Saxacalli in the Essequibo, has said he wants to be the best all-rounder, and ‘produce the goods’ in the CPL.
“I have challenged myself in this tournament to do better. I think it is about time. I have been in this CPL set-up for a while now, and I have not contributed in the way I wanted to. So, coming into this tournament, I challenged myself to get scores and take wickets, and be the top all-rounder this season and going forward,” he disclosed. “I just want to stay focused, hardworking, and be humble and do what I have to.”
The Warriors are thus far the only team unbeaten in the tournament, and Paul has said the team wants to remain clinical.
“We are in a good spot, but we want to stay humble and grounded. Cricket is a funny game, so we want to stay grounded and humble. There are areas we can improve on, that we have discussed; and that is what we will work on, to get better as a team and hopefully progress and get a few more wins,” he said.
Paul had bowled one ball in the last match before going off the field with an injury. He says he is 100% ready, as was seen when he returned to the field during that same match.
“I am pretty confident in my body. We have a good physio team, and they have been taking care of me. I am a 100%, and I am ready to go,” he declared.
Paul and Patriots skipper Sherfane Rutherford will be on opposing teams today, and according to Paul, he is looking forward to the battle.
“First of all, I am very happy for Sherfane. He has been named captain of the Patriots team, and that is an esteemed privilege. Coming up against him is always good. We played youth cricket together for a very long time, we are really good friends, we keep in contact a lot, (and) we motivate each other. So, it will be a good battle; there will be some banter, but there will be good fun,” Paul has said.
Guyana Amazon Warriors squad: Saim Ayub; Chandrapaul Hemraj; Azam Khan(w); Shai Hope; Shimron Hetmyer; Dwaine Pretorius; Keemo Paul; Romario Shepherd; Odean Smith; Imran Tahir(c); Gudakesh Motie; Matthew Nandu; Hazratullah Zazai; Kelvon Anderson; Kevin Sinclair; Junior Sinclair and Ronsford Beaton.