Guyanese duo, Chandrapaul Hemraj and Clinton Pestano have expressed their eagerness in donning the Guyana Amazon Warriors uniform and hopefully lead their country to its first ever Caribbean Premier League title this season.
For 25-year-old left-handed batsman, Hemraj it is not the first time entering the CPL having represented the St. Lucia Stars last season. That year the young man from Strathavon, East Coast Demerara played just two matches with a top score of 37 and a strike rate of an astonishing 142.
Since then, Hemraj has broken into the West Indies side, donning the maroon colours on six occasions in the 50-overs format. However, he has since been sidelined.
Hemraj told Stabroek Sport that this is a stepping stone for him as he intends to use this opportunity to break into the West Indies set up once again.
He said that he has been working extremely hard on his fitness and is grateful for the opportunity to represent his country.
The left hander feels that this will not be a hard season for him, having played with most of the guys before but detailed the “special feeling” it brings to have his home country behind him.
Pestano too said that he was also grateful for the opportunity and will be using this as a launching pad for his international career.
Pestano, who is making his debut, told this publication that “this is a dream come through” for him and is something he has worked hard for over the years, especially in the shorter format.
Pestano has blossomed into a genuine all-rounder, notably in the Regional Super50 and Regional Four-Day championships for the Guyana side.
The 26-year-old, who recently won the Player of the Year award for his club, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports, reflected on his determination to do well and the wonderful support he has gotten since it was announced he would be joining the Warriors. He pointed out that it is a different feeling to be selected by his home territory adding … “it is a matter of me putting in the extra work and doing well because of the motivation from the fans.”
The Amazon Warriors have made it to the final of the CPL on four occasions but are yet to win a title, but their prospects looks better this year as they bring back a core of last season as well as young energetic players with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Shoaib Malik, Chris Green and company all in the mix.
