The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday named two squads for the first of two practice matches ahead of the upcoming regional four-day season.
Surprisingly, a number of senior players will miss the first practice game which starts next Thursday.
The GCB, in a release to the media yesterday, did not give reasons why the players will be absent.
The players who will be unavailable for the first practice game are Leon Johnson, Clinton Pestano, Keon Joseph, Quentin Sampson, Steven Sankar Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd.
The national side known as the Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) is preparing for the first two round of the Regional first class season.
The first round of this year’s Cricket West Indies Championship will be played in Grenada and Antigua from February 1 to February 4 with the second round in the same countries from February 8-11.
The last three rounds will be played in Trinidad.
The respective dates being March 5-18 for the third-round matches, March 22 -March 25 for the fourth-round matches and March 29, – April 1, for the fifth-round matches
In the absence of the star players, the teams will be led by West Indies opening batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul and former West Indies left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul. The first of two four-day practice will commence January 12, 2023, at the National Stadium, Providence. The second match will begin on January 17 and conclude on January 20. The matches are scheduled from 0930 hours to 1630 hours each day.
The two teams identified to participate in the first GCB four-day practice match were selected by the GCB’s Senior National Selection Committee under the Chairmanship of Ravindranauth Seeram.
The teams are:-Permaul’s X1 (from) Permaul, Mathew Nandu, Tevin Imlach, Kevlon Anderson, Akshaya Persaud, Rampertab Ramnauth, Shamar Yearwood, Junior Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Ronsford Beaton, Isai Thorne, Nial Smith, Richie Looknauth and Garfield Benjamin. Chanderpaul’s X1 (from) Chanderpaul, Kemol Savory, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Mavindra Dindyal, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Alvin Mohabir, Gudakesh Motie, Antony Adams, Shamar Joseph, Sylus Tyndall, Demetri Cameron, Jonathan Rampersaud and Zynul Ramsammy.
