On Wednesday evening the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held its awards ceremony where Romario Shepherd was named the male Cricketer-of-the-Year as well as the Most Improved Player.
While the 25-year-old could not receive his award due to international commitments, upon hearing the news he was ecstatic.
Stabroek Sport engaged the young all-rounder on his success and he responded, “Winning this award was a great feeling for me. You know, throughout the season my mind was never on the award. I was more focused on going out each and every game and doing my best for the team and leaving it all on the field.”
The Berbice-born giant explained, “With that being said, I have been rewarded with this award and I am thankful to the Guyana Cricket Board and to God for giving me the strength to go out each and every game and also keeping me fit throughout the competitions.”
Shepherd has undoubtedly made the most strides as a Guyanese cricketer having completed his first full season in the Regional Four-Day tournament, earning a Caribbean Premier League contract with the Guyana Amazon Warriors and making his debut for the West Indies. But for the right-hand quick, the work has just begun.
“Making it to West Indies was a dream come through. Getting your first international wicket is such a great feeling knowing that no one could take that from you and the hard work has just begun. The easiest part of making it to the international scene is done. It might be not as hard as it is staying up here,” he added.
Shepherd said he would like to continue working hard and staying disciplined.
“I don’t want to be caught up playing just a handful of games, I want to be here for a very long time so now the work has to be done and I have to make a lot of adjustments and adopt as fast as possible to remain here because the faster you learn, the better. I’m just going to continue working hard and staying disciplined.”
Reflecting on his blowout year, the Tucber Park team skipper indicated that it was an accomplishment to play all 10 games in the Four-Day tournament stating, “I have shown I could last without getting injured and give 100 percent right through because I was the fast bowler with the most overs in the tournament and going through that without being injured and contributing with the bat it shows I could rally through tough periods and I am fit enough play any version of the game and not just someone who suits white ball.”
Shepherd admitted, though, that it was tough doping so.
“Some games were really hard, even when you are tired you had to run in and bowl the long overs and at the end of the day you can look back when you are doing your recovery and say `it is all ok this is what is about’ and it helps when you can look back and see what you have been through and come through and sometimes that can motivate you to take it all and still survive.”
Shepherd has played three One Day Internationals so far for the West Indies and taken 2-32 on debut. In his Four-Day season, Shepherd took 37 wickets when bowling 257.3 overs while scoring 315 runs including two half-centuries. For Amazon Warriors, he took 13 wickets and scored 41 runs in three innings with a strike rate of over 200.
