“We have the best players to choose from,” says Coach Crandon

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

Good teams on paper do not necessarily win tournaments. With most of the West Indies regulars opting out of the West Indies tour to Bangladesh, franchises around the Caribbean will be boosted by some of these senior players. This is the case for the Jaguars as well, with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd being available for Super50 selection.

On this occasion, the selectors have a strong group from which to select a 15-man squad that would play in the Regional Super50 Cup, set to bowl off on February 7. Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon has said that in previous seasons, Jaguars had good teams in the Super50, but the formula to win the tournament has still not been discovered.
“Over the years, we had good teams in the Super50, but we have not managed to pull it together and win, which is the most important thing. Good teams on paper do not win you competitions, but I think we have the best players available in the country to choose from,” Crandon has said.
With Raymon Reifer and Veerasammy Permaul, both senior men in the Jaguars team, being unavailable due to West Indies duties, Crandon noted, this is an opportunity for other players to step out and distinguish themselves.
“Sometimes when you lose, you gain sometimes. I am seeing the opportunity coming for a youngster or two in the upcoming tournament,” he said.
With the likes of Hetmyer and Shepherd set to play in the upcoming practice matches at LBI, Crandon has said it is good for the young players, since these two players bring a wealth of experience to the table.

“That can bring a lot of intensity and energy to our sessions, to have those guys that bring that professionalism,” Crandon disclosed.
Speaking about the selection of Keemo Paul, Crandon said his availability is unclear.
The Jaguars will have three practice matches, starting at LBI from Monday, January 18. The Jaguars Head Coach is expecting to witness some high-quality cricket as the team continue preparing for the competition.
“We should expect high-quality intensity at the practice matches with regards to fitness levels. Hopefully, we get good weather, and I am anticipating keenly contested practice games,” Crandon explained.

Romario Shepherd is expected to be added to one of these squads for the three practice matches. The squads for the practice matches are as follows.
Hetmyer’s team comprises Chandrapaul Hemraj, Raymond Perez, Kevlon Anderson, Shimron Hetmyer (Captain), Sherfane Rutherford, Akshaya Persaud, Kemol Savory, Bhaskar Yadram, Kevin Sinclair, Demitri Cameron, Keon Joseph, Clinton Pestano, Anthony Adams, Vishaul Singh, Mavindra Dindyal, Steven Sankar, Sachin Singh and Ricardo Adams.
Johnson’s team comprises Trevon Griffith, Tevin Imlach, Leon Johnson (Captain), Jonathan Foo, Christopher Barnwell, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Quinton Sampson, Gudakesh Motie, Ramaal Lewis, Nial Smith, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Devendra Bishoo, Andre Stoll, Totaram Bishun, Richie Looknauth and Kelvin Umroa.