… axed from the Guyana squad without playing  in any of the four matches
ESSEQUIBO and Police Sports Club 26-year-old fast bowler Trevor Benn found himself in an unfortunate situation, according to chairman of selectors Claude Raphael, who announced the Guyana 13-man squad who will leave these shores today for their next match in the 2010 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional four-day competition. Benn, along with all-rounder Christopher Barnwell and Vishal Singh, was asked to make way for the return of vice-captain Assad Fudadin. West Indies Under-19 fast bowler Keon Joseph was selected in the 13-man squad for the first three away matches, but failed to make the final eleven and is the only player not to have played any of Guyana’s four matches to date in the tournament.
“It is rather unfortunate for the young man (Benn) who should have played one of the three away matches, that he has to make way, but that’s cricket,” said Raphael.
No doubt, Benn who was the best fast bowler and the lone one to have taken five wickets in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-organised four-team President’s Cup tournament last year, must be crestfallen and one would hope that he has the inner strength to keep his head up after such a catastrophe.
National Communications Network (NCN) commentary panellist Jermaine Neblett, himself a former national fast bowler, expressed his disappointment at the way Benn was being dropped, asking the question: what more must the young fast bowler do?
According to Neblett, he was in that position early on in his career and it took some inner strength along with the advice of his friends, to battle through and was not hesitant to pass on such advice to young Benn at the Albion Community Development Centre ground yesterday.
Raphael also told the media, appointed captain Ramnaresh Sarwan made contact with president of the GCB Chetram Singh and informed him of his unavailability for the upcoming match, expressing a further consultation with his doctor sometime today.
Sarwan experienced a slight niggle in his back, just before the team’s final practice match at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground late last year, but hopefully, should be available for the final match against the Windward Islands next weekend, if he is not selected for West Indies duties.
Fudadin returns following a hairline fracture to the middle finger of his left hand and should be looking to bolster the middle order batting alongside Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Gajanand Singh and Royston Crandon who will be looking to get a score in this match.
Derwin Christian has retained his place as wicketkeeper contrary to reports, while spin twins Devendra Bishoo who took his maiden 10-wicket haul against Barbados in the game which Guyana lost yesterday and Veerasammy Permaul are expected to take care of that department, with assistance from Mohammed and skipper Chattergoon.
The fast bowling department will be taken care of by West Indies youth fast bowler Keon Joseph (who surprisingly to all and sundry even to some members of the team, replaces Benn) along with Brandon Bess and Esaun Crandon.
The full 13-man squad reads: Sewnarine Chattergoon, Rajendra Chandrika, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Gajanand Singh, Zaheer Mohammed, Derwin Christian, Esaun Crandon, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Brandon Bess and Keon Joseph.