WI Regional 4-Day Championships 2023: Anderson, Nandu and Persaud must grab opportunities

– players must adapt in practice matches, says Coach Ryan Hercules

By Brandon Corlette

Guyana Harpy Eagles will play their first match of the 2023 Cricket West Indies Championships against defending champions Barbados Pride from February 1 in Antigua. Shimron Hetmyer, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd will be absent from the squad, and the younger players will have to step up and grab those opportunities.
In a recent interview with Guyana Harpy Eagles Head Coach Ryan Hercules, a call was made for young players in the set-up to grab those opportunities and cement their places in the team.
“It is a good opportunity for young players. Guys who have been around the set-up for quite some time, I think this is the perfect time for them to take this opportunity to cement their places in the team. We know we will lose some players, and we accept that. I think it is a perfect time for guys the likes of (Matthew) Nandu, (Kevlon) Anderson and (Akshaya) Persaud, who have been around the set-up for quite some time. They must take this opportunity to cement their places as a permanent member in the team,” Hercules said.
Nandu is a West Indies Under-19 top order left-handed batsman, while Anderson is a former West Indies U-19 batsman and current West Indies Academy player. Persaud, a left-handed batsman, has been in and around the Guyana set-up, having played five first-class matches and scoring 52 runs, at an average of 7.42.
The Harpy Eagles will play their first four-day practice match from today, Saturday January 14, at Providence, weather permitting; and Hercules notes that it would be a test of adaptability.
“Most of the guys have been away from four-day cricket for a while, so adaptability is important. The surface at (Providence) will not be the best because of the weather patterns (in Guyana). So, it is just for us to see how the guys can adapt to the different conditions and make the best of whatever is offered to us, once we get to play cricket. Constructive batting, scoring runs, and batting in partnerships (are expected).
“It is just (about) getting them back out in the middle, get at least one game in before we leave to go on tour,” Hercules added.
“We can only control what we can control. I trust the players will be professional and adapt to the conditions and situations, and we hope that will take us through those first two rounds. Hopefully, after the break, we get some more practice in for the final three rounds,” the Essequibian Hercules has explained.
Hetmyer and Rutherford are both in the UAE, playing in the ILT20, while Shepherd and Paul are in South Africa playing in the SAT20. And Tagenarine Chanderpaul is expected to tour Zimbabwe and South Africa with the West Indies Test team.
A spinner in the Guyana Harpy Eagles team may also be unavailable to play in Antigua, owing to a possible selection in the West Indies Test team.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES

West Indies Championship 2023 (for Headley-Weekes Trophy)
1 to 4 February: 1st round in Grenada and Antigua
8 to 11 February: 2nd round in Grenada and Antigua.
15 to 18 March: 3rd round in Trinidad
22 to 25 March: 4th round in Trinidad
29 March to 1 April: 5th round in Trinidad
Full fixtures to be announced soon.
Headley-Weekes Tri-Series (to be played at CCG)
19 to 22 April: Team Headley vs West Indies Academy
26 to 29 April: Team Weekes vs West Indies Academy
3 to 6 May: Team Weekes vs Team Headley