Cricket Development Officer of the Guyana Cricket Board Reon King yesterday told Stabroek Sport that the Guyana Twenty20 management team was seeking to have former West Indies cricket coach Roger Harper assist with the training of the national Twenty20 squad.

King told Stabroek Sport that a meeting with the former West Indies off-spinner was scheduled for today adding that Harper has years of experience and that his input will be “second to none.”

Apart from coaching Kenya, Harper  also  served as assistant to Eldine Baptiste for the Stanford Superstars winner take all US$20m game  in 2008 against England which the Stanford Superstars won handsomely.

King, however, said that Harper’s services will be just for the team’s preparatory camp.

“He will not be going to South Africa,” King said.

The Guyana team is preparing for next month’s Champions League Twenty20 tournament in South Africa having qualified by virtue of winning the West Indies Cricket Board’s inaugural tournament recently.

King said 20 players inclusive of the five stand by players will commence the training camp this morning.

“We will be starting out with gym sessions this first week,” King said.

He explained that the management team of himself manager Carl Moore and Coach Ravindranauth Seeram will be concentrating on physical conditioning.

“There will be runs in the afternoons, sprints and stuff like that, just to get the guys stronger,” King added.

He disclosed that there will be a little less emphasis on the physical aspect of the training during the second stage.
The third stage of the training King said will involve a couple of practice games, game sense training and the setting of targets for the batsmen as well as the bowlers.

All told the Guyana team will be involved in four weeks of training which King said will also entail the use of “pool sessions.”

He said the camp will end September 2.

King said he anticipates the Guyana team departing for South Africa around September 5 since the team has to be in South Africa by September 7.

Moore last evening said that the out of town players were at the Palace de Leon Hotel adding that the team will be doing their gym work at Buddy’s Gym from 8-10am this morning.

Following a break the players will be at the National Stadium at Providence from 3pm, Moore added.

Apart from Moore, Seeram and King, physiotherapist Beverley Nelson and former national youth player Orin Bailey are also a part of the management team.