The practice sessions for the Guyana national cricket team arranged by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) continue to be poorly attended.
Yesterday’s scheduled practice session at the Providence National Stadium saw a disappointing seven players turning up.
Of the 19 players selected by the IMC earlier in the week, only openers Richard Ramdeen and Shemroy Barrington, leg-spinner Amir Khan, Jason Sinclair and middle-order batsman Vishaul Singh turned up while out-of-favour West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was at the venue for a brief period.
IMC appointed team manager, Carl Moore, was spot on with his assessment of the situation.
“Whether it is a GCB team or an IMC team, the players do have a game on Friday and they have to practice in any case, said Moore.
He added that they have been in contact with most of the players but said it was his belief that the players have been listening to people who have been advising them not to attend the sessions.
West Indies duty
Two players though dependable middle order batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and leg spinner Devendra Bishoo are unavailable.
The two have been named in the West Indies 30-man training squad which is preparing for the limited overs leg of the 2012 home series against Australia.
But, as it stands, none of the players who participated in Guyana’s opening four games of the ongoing 2011/12 regional four-day competitions against Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, Combine Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and Jamaica have yet to show up at the sessions.
The Guyana team is currently in fourth place with 24 points in the seven-team league of the 2011/12 regional first-class season.
They are scheduled to play two more group games in Barbados and Trinidad from March 9 – 12 and March 16 – 19 respectively.
IMC Chairman of selectors Roger Harper told this publication that efforts are currently ongoing behind the scenes to get the players to attend the sessions.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall last Friday was granted an interim injunction restraining 13 executive members of the Guyana Cricket Board from holding themselves out to be representatives of the GCB.
It has left the cricketers in a quandary, wondering whether they will be able to continue participating in the competition.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has issued a short statement following a two day Directors meeting, that they still recognize the GCB as the body responsible for cricket in Guyana.
When asked what the IMC will do if the main players continue to be absent and if the WICB prevents the Guyana team from participating in the final two four-day games, Harper said:“The relevant authorities at the top will have to answer and deal with that. I can only do my job as the chairman.”
The IMC has scheduled two more sessions today and Monday at the National Stadium from 10:00am – 1pm each day.
