By Marlon Munroe
National cricket coach Ravindranauth Seeram has laid the blame squarely at the feet of the batsmen for the exit of the Amazon Conquerors cricket team from the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament after the preliminary round.
The side returned home yesterday afternoon after winning two matches and losing the same number. They ended with eight points and an inferior net run rate with their last loss coming against the Windward Islands, a match Guyana had to win to ensure a semi-final spot.
The coach of the defending champions said yesterday that if the opening batsmen were more productive then the team still would have been in the competition. He indicated that too often the pressure was left on the lower order.
Seeram also said that senior batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s absence from the team in the important match against the Windwards was not a factor since the side’s batting had been questionable from the start of the tournament when they were bowled out for a paltry 65 against Jamaica. Asked to comment on not using young opening batsman Richard Ramdeen earlier, Seeram said that it was noticed that the batsman had difficulty with the rising delivery and it was better to bench him. He indicated that the side wanted the experienced players at the top of the order, but they also had difficulty putting together useful partnerships.
The high point of the team’s campaign was the bowlers, who were able to restrict their opponents for low scores on occasions.
