Following their one week break the National cricketers yesterday took to the National Stadium at Providence as preparations continue for this weekend’s regional four-day match against the Combined Campuses and Colleges team at the same venue.
Watching the players go through their paces was chairman of the senior selection panel, Rayon Griffith, who spoke with this newspaper about the team’s earlier matches in the four-day and Super50 competitions.
According to Griffith, the poor start made by the team so far can be attributed to a lack of mental toughness and discipline.
“The batting let us down in both formats of the game,” said Griffith adding also…. “our fielding and bowling departments need to improve in order to win matches.”
Griffith, though, was optimistic about the upcoming matches.
“The team has put away all negativity from their previous failures and is in a positive mode.”
Griffith suggested that the away atmosphere and playing in different countries in front of different crowds might have had a psychological effect on some of the players and said that the players are now looking forward to playing in front of their own supporters.
“The guys have begun to work hard and will be bringing their ‘A’ game to the rest of the competition,” said Griffith.
The team will have one more day of practice on March 28 before they tackle CCC in their four-day game followed by a Super50 match on April 4.
The team will be without regular wicketkeeper, Derwin Christian, who was axed from the squad for the remainder of the regional four-day and Super50 tournaments.
Christian was dropped despite having the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the competition mainly because of a lack of form with the bat.
He averages 10.33 from four 50-over matches scoring just 31 runs and also averages 15.50 in the longer format with 124 runs coming from the same amount of games.
His axing paved the way for the recall of 22-year-old Berbice wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble whose last knock at this level was three years ago against the Leeward Islands in the West Indies Cricket Board 2010 limited overs tournament.
Bramble, a former national U19 player, showed good form with the bat when he scored 96 for the President’s XI against GT&T’s Berbice team in January.
Also recalled is opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika.
The right handed Chandrika was dropped after three early encounters in the competition against the Leeward Islands, Barbados and the Windwards where he scored a total of 157 runs at an average of 26.16.
He found form after his exclusion from the national team scoring heavily in the domestic competition hitting a sparkling 226 against Transport Sports Club to lead his team Everest to victory in the Hadi’s Cup first division competition run by the Georgetown Cricket Association.
The batting line up should be boosted by the presence of the West Indies trio, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine and Shivnarine Chanderpaul although Chanderpaul’s 16-year-old son Tagenarine will not be available for the remainder of the competition due to his West Indies Under-19 camp commitments.
Assad Fudadin has been selected for the four-day format but was left out of the 50-over version while opener Trevon Griffith, who will open in the Super50 competition, will not play a part in the four-day games.
The Guyana team, though, will be without all rounder, Christopher Barnwell who will be leaving for India to begin his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Barnwell is scheduled to depart on Friday.
The four-day squad reads: Veerasammy Permaul (captain), Rajendra Chandrika, Assad Fudadin, Leon Johnson (vice-captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs and Zaheer Mohamed.
The Super50 squad reads: Veerasammy Permaul (captain), Trevon Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Leon Johnson, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Rajiv Ivan, and Zaheer Mohamed. The manager is Alvin Johnson and coach Esuan Crandon.
