Guyana’s national women’s team coach, Andre Percival, yesterday said that he was confident of the team doing well in the upcoming 2013 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional tournament, despite the brief period they have had to prepare.
This year’s tournament is fixed for Grenada and will feature teams from across the Caribbean such as; St Lucia, Jamaica,
Trinidad & Tobago, and Dominica, among others.
The ladies who were encamped since Saturday yesterday engaged in various aspects of training including the usual batting and bowling exercises. As a result of the recent bad weather, the squad was forced to take their training indoors at the Chetram Singh indoor facility located at LBI on the East Coast of Demerara.
Stabroek Sport visited the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday and caught up with Percival, who was present as the players participated in a practice game.
The coach noted that the team was doing “intense training” with regards to batting, bowling and fielding as of late and on Saturday the team indulged in fielding and catching practices at the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground.
Percival stated that due to the bad weather which kept the girls indoors, he was extremely grateful that the weather gave leeway to the team to get in some outdoor work. He stressed on the team needing more outdoor practice ahead of the tournament. With regards to the team’s progress, the coach stated that the team, which comprises players from different parts of the country, “was gelling as a unit as the days go by.”
He said that fitness was the biggest problem he faced with the players and said that… “as much as the team is trying to work hard on its condition physically, one cannot get fully fit in a matter of days.”
He, however, stated, that his aim was to bring the females up to scratch before they leave and will be simulating more outdoor matches so they can compete among themselves and learn about their strengths and weaknesses in the process. This initiative, according to Percival, will allow the ladies “to get their legs moving.”
In conclusion, the coach declared that the country needed to place more emphasis on women’s cricket and he was not at all satisfied with the time given to work with the team, as ladies required more time and attention with regards to training, than the males.
The first match bowls off on the August 5th between St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada.
