Star-studded Guyana begin title defence against Leewards
A glitzy Guyana team will commence their campaign to retain the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional One-Day and 3-Day titles as they tackle Leeward Islands today at Amos Vale, St Vincent.
The Guyana U-19 team along with their Coach and Manager
The side led by Bhaskar Yadram departed for the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines on Wednesday morning through the Eugene F Correira International Airport. The Guyanese, who won the double titles last year, will face stiff competition from the likes of Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.
Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Secretary Anand Sanasie; Chairman of Selectors, Rayon Griffith and Nazimul Drepaul also met with players. The GCB executives assured the players of continued support in their careers and challenged them to return home with an unprecedented fifth regional championship.
A number of players in the side have been consistent on the domestic scene, most of them the usual faces in the Guyana Jaguars Academy, which means they are usually fit and ready all year round.
The strong Guyana team – coached by Julian Moore, who has numerous regional titles under his belt – feature a number of top players who have represented the Windies at one level or the other.
Wicket-keeper-batsman Joshua Persaud, slow-bowler Ashmead Nedd, Yadram, Sachin Singh and pacer Qumar Torrington have all played for the Windies youth sides, with the first three playing in the U-19 World Cup earlier this year.
A number of other high-class players include batsman Adrian Hinds, opener Alex Algoo, Junior Sinclair, and Kevlon Anderson, who have been in the national youth side a few years now.
With a powerhouse team on paper and in form, Guyana will back their evenly-balanced side to deliver this season. Also, the experience of Manager Andy Ramnarine and Moore, who helped the U-19 team to lift the double titles last year should be a major boost to the team’s confidence.
The 14-man squad: Bhaskar Yadram (Captain); Kevin Sinclair; Alex Algoo; Sachin Singh; Adrian Hinds; Joshua Jones; Junior Sinclair; Kevlon Anderson; Javed Karim; Yeudistir Persaud; Kelvin Umrao; Joshua Persaud; Ashmead Nedd and Qumar Torrington.
