Captains and coaches of Guyana’s Amazon Warriors and Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel, who will engage in T20 battle later on tonight, are optimistic about the outcome of their first match of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL), played tonight at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The two teams will battle under the stadium lights and yesterday sponsors, the two captains and coaches gave insights on the preparation, the expectations and the outcome of the match.
Digicel’s Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James, at a press conference yesterday at the Providence National Stadium said that Digicel was proud to be a part of the LCPL.
James said that the LCPL will be “tying cricket and Carnival together for this summer,” adding that as a result, the rest of the Caribbean will have eyes on Guyana and what they accomplish.
She also said that she relished the fact that Digicel was a part of the LCPL and will continue to be involved in the development of all sports.
James promised that early bird prizes will be up for grabs, while Digicel will also be catering for the younger generation of cricket lovers.
Limacol Brand Ambassador and former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd expressed his joy over the fact that the tournament’s title sponsor is of Guyanese origin.
Lloyd said he is happy to be involved in the tournament and relishes the fact that cricket is back in Guyana, given the problems encountered over the years.
He added that Limacol has been a part of cricket for many years; the former West Indies captain said that during his time Limacol was in every player’s bag and was also taken out to the field during the water breaks. He concluded by saying his hopes were that the tournament was a memorable one.
Opposition Coach and another legendary West Indies player, Gordon Greenidge stated that despite various past T20 competitions in the Caribbean, the LCPL was an entirely new venture and said that he hopes that the players will use it to showcase their talent and enhance themselves and their teams.
The former opening batsman declared: “West Indies cricket needs to be lifted.”
Greenidge said West Indies cricket has been in the “lows” over the years, and wished both teams the best of luck adding that he was looking forward to next year’s competition.
Local head coach Roger Harper also reinforced gratitude towards the sponsors, while noting that players are excited to showcase their talents. Praise was also given to the franchise owner, who Harper stated gave “tremendous support”.
Harper also wished the opposing team the best of luck in tonight’s encounter and said he hoped that the match would be played in good spirits.
When asked about the squad drafted for the LCPL, Harper said that he sought to draft a team that can play in any condition.
Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago are deemed old rivals and Amazon Warriors skipper, Ramnaresh Sarwan said that this match was not a “grudge match” but a competitive one and said that the he was looking forward to the game.
Speaking on his personal form, Sarwan said he was not looking at his recent performances, however he was looking to be “consistent, as he was hitting the ball pretty well in the nets.
The first match in Guyana will be played tonight under lights beginning at 20:00hrs.
