West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League Player Draft

– Griffith seeks best composition

Chairman of national selection Rayon Griffith says he will opt for the best team composition at West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League Player Draft set for Friday.

“I am adamant to pick up the ideal players, to get the best team composition in order to create history and complete a three-peat,” Griffith said in a brief interview with Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.

The former fast bowler, who has gotten it correct on two previous occasions, winning two successive PCL tournaments and making it to the semifinals of the limited over version, said getting the best players from the draft could be a challenge.

“Selectors get to choose their players based on where their team finish the competition the previous year, so since Guyana finish in first place they will have the last purchasing option. It also has to do with the list of players presented by the other territories,” Griffith noted.

In his perspective Guyana has some strong contenders in its players but due to the selection policy he has to look outside the home players.

However, he did not want to disclose which department he is looking to strengthen, but stated it would be in the best interest of the team.

Guyana Jaguars have won the inaugural title and the second installment under the leadership of Leon Johnson. The batting department is still to mature but has been producing the goods. The spin bowling facets has been the dominant factor while the team has resorted to several all-rounders mainly Christopher Barnwell and foreign player Raymon Reifer. However, the fast bowling department is still to make an impact.

Therefore there is more than likely a place(s) for an experience fast bowler(s) or a genuine opener, especially since makeshift starters were used in the previous editions.

Noticeable all three of Guyana’s overseas players are Barbadians, with only Reifer staying on to play and has so far performed satisfactory. Ryan Hinds opted out of his contract for personal reasons while Javon Searles-Scanterbury who is more known for his limited over attributes ask for his contract to be terminated. Only Reifer was picked up in the first draft, the others were purchased in the second.

The third player draft will be staged in the Media Lounge on the first floor of the Coppin/Cozier/Short Media Centre at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, starting at 10a.m. R

The following persons will be in attendance for their respective franchises; Hamesh Anthony, Chairman of Selectors, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Charles Walter, Chairman of Selectors, Windward Islands Volcanoes, Gus Logie, Head Coach, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Robert Samuels, Coach, Jamaica Scorpions, Hendy Wallace, Chairman of Selectors, Barbados Pride, Hendy Springer, Head Coach, Barbados Pride, Rayon Griffith, Chairman of Selectors, Guyana Jaguars

The Player Draft has been organised with the goal of achieving an equitable distribution of the available player talent in the Regional 4-Day and NAGICO Super50 tournaments.

Each Franchise will contract a minimum of 15 players, as follows:

? 10 players pre-selected from the Home Territory;

? 5 players drafted from the Player Pool with a minimum of 2 from outside the Home Territory; and

? Each franchise can have 1 international player (i.e. non-eligible West Indian player) at its own cost.

The six franchises shall participate in the Player Draft through the Chairman of Selectors or Head Coach.

The Player Draft shall be conducted over five rounds. Each franchise must pick a player in each round and will have two minutes to select the player. Where a selection is not made within the stipulated time, the offending franchise will miss their turn and must wait until all other franchises have made their selection in that round before making its selection.

The selection order for the Player Draft is linked to the final league position and performance of the franchise in the 2015-16 WICB Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament.