Carl Hoooper one of the more elegant batsman to ever play the game was yesterday named as head coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors for this year’s Caribbean Premier League tournament which bowls off later this year.
“The Management/Ownership Team of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise is pleased to announce the appointment of former outstanding West Indies and Guyana cricketer, Carl Hooper as the Head Coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Team for the 2015 edition of the Caribbean Premier League,” a press release from CPL Guyana stated.
Hooper’s appointment has now brought down a successful two seasons of coaching by another former Guyana and West Indies all-rounder Roger Harper.
Hooper, who was the Assistant Coach of the Antigua Hawksbill for the 2014 CPL has held various coaching positions after his playing career which included Coach at the West Indies Cricket Board’s High Performance Centre (HPC) in Barbados, the release pointed out.
“I am extremely delighted to be appointed as Head Coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Team and to be part of the CPL 2015. I do look forward to working with the immensely talented and exciting group of cricketers that are involved with this team.
“I also want to assist with the overall development of the young Guyana cricketers who will be part of the squad for CPL 2015,” the stylish former Guyana skipper added.
Hooper also thanked the owner of the Guyana Franchise Dr. Ranjisingh Ramroop.
“It will be remiss of me if I didn’t express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Franchise Owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors for providing me with this opportunity,” he declared.
Hooper came to prominence in the late 1980’s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose and he represented the West Indies over a 21-year International career, scoring some 5,762 runs in his Test career.
Hooper represented Guyana at the First Class level and played English County Cricket for Kent and Lancashire. In 2003 he became only the second player to have scored a century against all 18 County teams. Hooper also holds the accolade of being the first cricketer in the World to have scored 5,000 runs, taken 100 wickets, 100 catches and received 100 caps in both ODI’s and Tests, a feat only matched since by the South African Jacques Kallis.
Omar Khan, Team Operations Manager of the Guyana Amazon Warriors has expressed his full support on the appointment of Carl Hooper saying:“Carl brings a wealth of experience and skills to our team and I am confident that he will be a great motivator and use all of his expertise to bring the best out of all the players in their performances so as to contribute to the team winning the tournament this year in what promises to be a much more hyped-up and high profile 2015 CPL.”
Harper has served the Warriors with great distinction over the two seasons, taking the local side to the finals twice before losing to Jamaica Hawksbill in the first season in 2013, then in a controversial final against the Barbados Tridents last year.
