Despite murky conditions yesterday, the Guyana Amazon Warriors commenced their 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) pre-season training camp at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
With the start of the CPL just eight days away and the Warriors playing the opening match against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in St Kitts on June 29, gelling as well as training among some of the players got underway yesterday afternoon.
A few of the Warriors Caribbean stars like Trinidadian trio Rayad Emrit, Steven Katwaroo and Jason Mohammed, who arrived on Sunday, as well as International Cricket Council’s Americas player Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan, began sessions with Head coach Roger Harper, assistant coach Esaun and strength and conditioning trainer Clinton Jeremiah, who guided the players through the various exercises.
While the weather did its part throughout the majority of yesterday, so too did the Warriors who worked diligently to complete a decent opening day of training.
Also, as part of the franchise’s development initiative, the West Indies Under-19 pair of Keemo Paul and Tevin Imlach were also a part of yesterday’s segment and will remain with the team until the camp ends on June 25.
Tomorrow and Thursday the Warriors are expected to really get into the training when they conduct match simulation exercises under lights while two practice matches are expected to be played on Friday and Saturday respectively against some of the country’s top local players.
Some of the players who are yet to arrive in Guyana include marquee player Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir, Aussie batsman Chris Lynn and the big hitting Dwayne Smith. Also absent yesterday were Captain Martin Guptill who is representing Lancashire in the ongoing NatWest T20 Blast in England and is expected to join the Warriors in a few days and Australian left-spinner Adam Zampa who is currently playing in the final stages of the Ballr Tri-Nations Series which send on June 26.