-Coach Michael Hyles
Coach of the 14-member Women’s U19 cricket team which will participate in this years regional women’s tournament, Michael “Franco” Hyles is confident that the team can perform creditably.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport, Hyles, who along with Sheik Mohammed and Faizul Bacchus selected the team, says the only disappointment has been the hasty selection of the final 14.
According to Hyles initially the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) had announced that an inter-county tournament would have been run off before the players were called to trials but this fell through.
”We had wanted to see all the players in action but the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) ordered that the names of the members of the squad be sent to them earlier than (the GCB) expected,” Hyles stated.
As such, the selectors were forced to request that the three county boards select their 10 best players to attend three trial matches.
Following these matches a preliminary squad of 20 players was selected which was further trimmed to 14 on Friday.
Hyles also wanted a longer period of encampment.
“I would have preferred to have a longer encampment than the March 19-28 period given by the board,” Hyles said.
Commenting on the team as a whole, Hyles said that its all-round game should result in a successful tournament for the Guyanese.
The tournament starts in St. Lucia on April 4 and ends on April 12.
All of the regular territorial teams are expected to take part, including Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward and Windward Islands.
The 14-member squad which will be managed by Marcelle Griffith will be led by 16-year-old Berbice wicketkeeper/batswoman Shemain Campbell.
Campbell is one of four members of the squad that represented the Guyana Senior Women’s Team at last year’s regional tournament with the other three players being Marina Brijmohan, Jacquelyn Singh and the baby of the squad, Olivia Oselmo who is 15.
The squad, which is made up of seven Demerara players, four Essequibians and three Berbicians is: Campbell, Brijmohan, J. Singh, Oselmo, Haseena Mohamed, Desmona Hill, Katana Mentore, Latoya Smith, Jessica Gonsalves, Heema Singh, Anganie Lalbachan, Nayesha Khan, Timeca Kerr and Reshma Khan.
