Interviews by Tamica Garnett and
photos by Orlando Charles
Today the Guyana Amazon Conquerors will once again take to the field, this time at Durban against the Mumbai Indians in hope of a big comeback at the Airtel Champions League currently ongoing in South Africa. Guyana was outclassed on Sunday last playing against the Bangalore Royal Challengers. The likelihood of the Conquerors producing a major upset has become a hot topic. So Stabroek Sport took to the streets of Georgetown to ask cricket fans what they think about their team’s chances of pulling off a big recovery:
Michael Burnett – Attorney and Vice-President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation: “I’ve been looking at the Guyana cricket team for the last few years. I saw their last performance at the Caribbean Twenty20, and that performance there was superb, we were the victors and so that speaks for itself. On our chances now, well unless we stop acting like a deer caught in headlights, the possibility that we win this is very far. It’s because our team, they’re not very confident and the other teams seem to be much superior. If you are to look at it the Guyanese team, they are really two teams, for example in the tournament we played against Trinidad two weekends ago, on the first night the team that showed up was quite an awful team and on the second night we were able to beat Trinidad. So if that latter team plays then we stand a chance, otherwise we won’t make it out of the first round. I’m just hoping that the real Guyana team shows up.”
Johnny Braff – soul singer: “I saw the match on Sunday, but they look so 
timid like they never pass through something like this and this game has a lot of professionals, a lot of world professionals. And Guyanese, filled with little ones coming up now, Chattergoon and Foo and so, all them guys young and they get timid. They said the weather was bad, the cold and all kind of things. But I hope and trust in them and they going to make it. The guys just aren’t accustomed to certain things and they’re in South Africa. That was just a warm-up for them, and they’re going to make it. All we have to do is believe in them here in Guyana while they’re playing and I know they’re going to make it! Believe in them and they will win!”
Odessa Wills – beauty salon owner: “Well I think that their performance here in Guyana before they left was quite a blast and now that they are out in the world trying but their performance is poor. They were doing so good, but now they are not performing the way we were expecting them to. I think it’s because they are not playing cricket for cricket now, they are not playing from the heart. They are not real cricketers because they get paid. I think now that they have seen how the other teams are playing I think they will step up. I think we have a chance. I think they are going to do good. I don’t think they can beat the Redbacks, that’s going to be difficult. But the other two teams I think those two they are going to win, not Australia.”
Shawn Wilkins – businessman: “Well actually I think that they don’t have any chance. The rest of teams there have too much of quality, way more than we have. If they made a comeback I would be surprised. I think Trinidad would have had a better chance at the championships because they are a better team, they have more professional players.”
Samantha Joseph – stylist: “I think the 
team has a very good chance of picking themselves up. They just need to get focused and start playing better cricket. They have some very good players on that team and they need to come forward and showcase what Guyana has. They did really good at the tournament that they played in Trinidad and then they won a game against Trinidad in Guyana, so they just need to keep focused. Yes the tournament has a lot of big teams but Guyana has what it takes, they can do this.”
Stefan McPherson – Police Sports Club cricketer: “I saw Sunday’s performance and to me it is natural that they lost because to me they were so overwhelmed to be there in the first place, that it got to them. And then the talent comes into play also, on an experience level, there were more talented players out there on the other team, so I wasn’t surprised that they lost. But what surprised me was the way that they lost. But cricket is a game of chances, so today I think they have a chance of winning – it is just that they have to put their best foot forward and do their best. The same thing goes for their chances of making it into the semi-finals, I think the chance is there, it’s just that we have to grab the chance.”
Trevor Benn – Police Sports Club cricketer: “I was following Guyana’s performance before they left, and I feel that they lost so bad to the Royal Challengers because the conditions over here and the conditions over there, in South Africa, is totally different. The pitches over here play much faster, so that is why. We have professionalism on our teams, but we don’t have the names, the other teams have some big names. But if they just go out and play cricket for the love of the game they will do well. Today I think their chances against the Indians are tough, very, very tough, because I mean the Indians they have a long line of names. Right now because the Indians lost two games they will be cross, they will want a win and they will go all out fighting for it. We have a few players, and Sarwan will have to make it click. I would say they have a 40% chance of making it past this.”