MORE than five years after his last senior appearance, all-rounder Jonathan Foo is excited to be back in the national set-up, and insists that the hard work has actually paid off.The 26-year-old has been named in the Guyana Jaguars 14-man squad for the January 24 to February 18 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Super50 in Barbados and Antigua.
Commenting on his return Foo said, “I’m happy to be back in the team, I have been working hard especially in the three-day competition, been working hard on my batting and I was expecting to be in the one-day team so I’m going to keep working hard on my fitness.
“I think I’m fully mature now, I have not played for Guyana a while but I have a clue on what is going on with my batting and personal game, the former Guyana Under-19 player pointed out.
Loss of form denied him the chance of adding to his three List A caps, and after I missed out on selection for a prolonged period, the Berbician rediscovered his form during last year’s Jaguars Franchise League three-day tournament where he scored 580 runs, inclusive of two centuries.
His effort did not go unnoticed, and Foo credited his Albion Cricket Club teammates and manager for the encouragement.
“The guys at Albion such as (Veerasammy) Permaul, (Anthony) Bramble, (Devendra) Bishoo, (Gudakesh) Motie and manager Vemen Walter really kept me going, I was out from playing for Guyana for a while and I was really down so they keep encouraging me to score runs as one day I will be playing again for Guyana”, he revealed.
Commenting on the improvement of his fitness Foo said, “Actually I’m very pleased with my fitness, over the years I have been unfit and I’m really pleased with it now.
Foo joins West Indies Test opener Rajendra Chandrika and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, West Indies A team pacer Ronsford Beaton and former West Indies youth captain Shimron Hetmyer, as the players who were not featured in last year’s squad.
The five have replaced recent West Indies A team players, middle-order batsman Vishaul Singh and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, fast bowler Romario Shepherd, opening batsman Kevon Boodie and all-rounder Royston Crandon who were all part of last year’s squad.
The Guyana Jaguars will do battle in Group B, which comprises last year’s losing finalists Barbados Pride, Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, Jamaica Scorpions and ICC Americas.
Meanwhile, title-holders Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Windward Islands Volcanoes, the West Indies U-19s, and visiting English County Kent Spitfires have been installed in Group A.
When the action bowls, the Guyanese will be aiming for a 10th regional 50-over title, the last of which was achieved in 2005 when they defeated Barbados in near darkness in the final of the KFC Cup at the GCC ground, Bourda.
Prior to that, Guyana reigned supreme in 1980, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2003.
The Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Leon Johnson (captain), Veerasammy Permaul (vice-captain), Anthony Bramble (wkp.), Shimron Hetmyer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Rajendra Chandrika, Steven Jacobs, Assad Fudadin, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz and Jonathan Foo.
Management Staff: Esaun Crandon (head coach), Rayon Griffith (assistant coach) and Ernesto Gonzalez (physiotherapist).