– Double on the cards
Coach of the successful national under – 19 team, Julian Moore, who two days ago saw his side capture the regional three-day title after crushing their Jamaican counterparts by nine wickets in St Kitts, said their one day chances are favorable owing to the all – round caliber of the side.
He also alluded to the inclusion of West Indies under – 19 duo – Bhaskar Yardam and Joshua Persaud – as a major boost ahead of their opening match against the ICC Americas side today.
Guyana is the defending champions in the one-day format after defeating the Windward Islands by five wickets in St Vincent and the Grenadines in last year’s final to claim their third successive championship.
“I think we have a pretty good chance. We have a very good all-round team that is a good fit for the one-day version but at the same time you know we still have to go out there and perform to the best of our abilities and play positive cricket if we are to win,” the 31-year-old coach told Stabroek Sport during an exclusive interview.
Speaking about the inclusion of Yadram and Persaud, who recently returned from West Indies under-19 duties in Africa, where the former had an outstanding tour to cop the MVP award, Moore was keen on pointing out their value added presence to an already confident championship team.
“To begin with, I think we have a good bunch of guys coming back from the three-day squad who have been playing good cricket as was evident in us winning.
“Anytime you add two West Indian caliber players to any team, I think you already begin to fancy your chances a bit more. Obviously, they’ll be a big boost for us in the batting and bowling departments, but I also think their experience from the higher level would be invaluable to our team moving forward in trying to retain our title.”
Moore, a coach in his early days who connects with the younger players, has enjoyed a good time at it since his regional coaching stints began, having already won two Regional under – 15 tournaments, he can now add another regional youth title to his impressive resume.
Meanwhile, in recounting the emotion of winning the three – day title, Moore expressed elation, noting that it is not every day a coach gets the opportunity of winning a regional title, let alone in their first year at such a competitive level.
He reminded his players of the sacrifices they would have made for each other as a motivating factor, knowing that Guyana needed an outright win against Jamaica to lift 2017 three – day title.
“I also reminded them of the importance of observing the moment. To be playing in a game where the championship is on the line I think is a special experience which a lot of people have not gotten and I just asked that they enjoy the moment, take nothing for granted and just have fun.”
