–all-rounder enjoying time off with family, anxious to get back to playing cricket

By Clifton Ross

SENIOR Guyana Jaguars all-rounder, Christopher Barnwell, says he’s cherishing this rare time off due to the COVID-19 outbreak, while maintaining his fitness with hopes of returning to action soon.

The former West Indies all-rounder, who played 6 T20 internationals, chimed in on the recent break in cricket internationally, regionally and locally due to the pandemic, which has forced the world into a state of isolation.

Much like his teammates, the 33-year-old is one of the few Guyanese cricketers who, when not playing for his club Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), is representing his country as one of the seniors in the 5-time Regional 4-Day title- winning Guyana Jaguars team, or playing as one of the veteran T20 guns-for-hire in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
But with the Jaguars being forced to abandon their weekly outdoor training sessions as well as any form of playing or practice, Barnwell said it was a bit difficult to adjust to such restrictions.

“It’s very difficult at the moment, not getting any outdoor training, but we all know the seriousness of the virus, so we have to take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our families. We have a Zoom session every morning from 9:00am to 10:00am with the trainer, so we could keep ourselves in shape”, said the hard-hitting batsman.
The outbreak has cast a shroud of boredom over the country with regards to all manner of sport being placed on pause indefinitely.
Nevertheless, it comes with a silver lining as athletes such as Barnwell, who’s still in the early stages of fatherhood and spends a lot of time playing and traveling as a professional sportsman, echoed the sentiments from the human side of things as he can now spend some precious time with family and loved ones.
“I must say this is the longest break we’ve had within that 5 and to 6 period. I’m sure the wives, girlfriends and kids are enjoying it, so I think it (covid19) has come like a blessing in disguise”, Barnwell stated.
Prior to the world entering its lockdown state, Barnwell and his team were engaged in their annual 4-Day cricket season, where they sought to defend their title for the 6th straight year.
A few hiccups and the abrupt stoppage of the final two rounds of the Regional 4-Day competition resulted in the Jags falling short of their record title chase, as the Barbados Pride were crowned new champs.

However, with the team well-rested and players getting ample time to heal any niggles while staying fit, Barnwell, who was on a batting surge since the Regional Super 50 tournament, was among the premier batsmen for Guyana in this year’s 4-Dayers and will be key during the upcoming season.

One of the first Guyanese to ever be drafted to the Indian Premier League (IPL), back in 2013, the burly right-hander finished this 4-day season 11th overall on the leading run-scorers list with 435 runs with 2 fifties and a best of 107.

Given his recent run with the bat, Barnwell admitted that he’s eager to get back into action, adding that discovering newer ways to train is key as they await the day when cricket is played again.
“I’m very eager to get back on the park, playing cricket again; I just want to maintain the same focus and keep working on my game. We don’t know how long this would go for so, as professionals, we have to find a way to hit a few balls and bowl a few as well”, He ended.