TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Former Guyana fast bowler Jeremy Gordon said he was excited about the prospect of making his debut for Canada in the forthcoming Caribbean Twenty20 Championship next month.
The 24-year-old player, who took up residence in North America several years ago, was included in the Canadian national team that will take part in the competition and felt he could make a big impression for his adopted country, once selected in the final 11.
“I am excited to be in the team, and I will try to contribute significantly,” he said. “It is a dream come true and now it is a matter of going out there and performing to the best of my ability next month.”
Gordon, who featured in three first-class matches for Guyana between 2007 and 2008, felt Canada have a strong bunch of players who can match their skills equally against their opponents in the regional competition.
“I think we have a good team,” he said. “The strength of team is its bowling because we have got a lot of experienced bowlers like fast bowler Henry Osinde among others, so we should be combative in the tournament.”
Gordon said getting another opportunity to expose his cricket ability at the highest level was something for which he had worked over the last few years.
“It was a great privilege to represent (Guyana) and I still have ambition of rekindling my games for them, but it starts from here now being in the Canadian team to play against players with whom I am acquainted from back home,” he said.
Gordon, who plays for Brampton Master in the Canadian Elite competition, stated that cricket in the North American country was very competitive, since there is a large number of expatriate players from cricket-playing nations featuring on an annual basis.
“The game keeps improving at a rapid pace,” he said. “We have players from different parts of the World plying their trade and also to improve their skills, and that has given us the encouragement to work harder on our cricket all-round.”
Canada have been drawn in Group-A along with reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago, Gordon’s native Guyana, Windward Islands and co-hosts Leeward Islands.
They open the tournament on January 9 against the Windwards at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Recently, the Canadians travelled to get Barbados acclimatised to Caribbean conditions and took part in a few practice matches, but Gordon missed out due to his commitment to study at Ryerson University.