Georgetown Cricket Club’s first division player Wasim Haslim wrapped up his debut season with Scottish Premier League team Ferguslie Cricket Club by contributing to their triumph in the 2008 Scottish Cup.
Ferguslie having won the cup on five occasions, completed their second title win in four years, defeating first division side Penicuik Cricket Club by 26 runs at Bothwell Castle Policies ground on August 24, when Haslim grabbed the last wicket to fall in the 43rd over to secure victory for his club in the 50-overs contest. Batting first on a dodgy wicket, Haslim, who made 17 from 40 balls, featured in a 43 runs second wicket partnership with his skipper Stewart Murray, as Ferguslie scored 163-9 from their 50 overs. He returned with the ball to claim 2-37 and subsequently steer his team to victory.
This cup victory was the highlight of Haslim’s stint in the cricketing nation of Scotland which made it to the preliminary stages of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
Haslim continued in the same vein as when he left Guyana, amassing 523 runs from 20 innings, being unbeaten on eight occasions. Some of his innings were scored in very explosive fashion batting at number six, with his highest score being an unbeaten 92 which was scored against league leaders Greenock Cricket Club, characterizing his batting display.
He also captured 31 wickets including a best of 4-20 (10) bowling medium pace, and this emphasized his all-round ability for the club that ended as runners-up in the first division league last season.
According Haslim, who was named as a standby player on the Steven Jacobs-led Guyana/TCL 2006 under-19 team, the level of competition in the premier league division is highly competitive and can be ranked to just under the West Indies first class season.
“The League is highly competitive, with players in the caliber of former Pakistan test opener Mohammad Ramzan and Mic Skimming from New Zealand, competing for their respective teams.”
“This is attributed to the highly organised nature of competitions and the firm financial backings of teams who fielded a few international test players such as Australians Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist and New Zealand’s current test batsman Matthew Horn, just to name a few,” Haslim told Stabroek Sport.
While he enjoyed the attention the players and the sport receive in general, he was not shy in admitting that the weather which dips as low as -3 degree Celsius can be a major setback for Caribbean players.
Nevertheless, he concedes that the talent of Guyanese and Caribbean cricketers is well respected in that country to an extent that another club namely Stirling County has expressed an interest in having him don their colours next year, while Ferguslie also wants to see him make a return there.
The 20-year-old will be celebrating his 21st birthday on the September 25. He has also represented the University of Guyana (UG) in some inter-campuses competitions, and was part of the Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) training squad for the 2007 KFC competition.
He was one of the highest runs scorers in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Pepsi/Carib-sponsored Twenty20 competition, averaging over 50 with scores of 78 not out against Police and 52 against Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), both in winning causes for his club.
The left-handed opening batsman has already restarted training with his club and has his eyes set on possible selection to the Demerara senior team that will be contesting the upcoming GCB/El Dorado senior inter-county limited overs competition.
