DISCARDED West Indies middle-order batsman and national captain Ramnaresh Sarwan yesterday took time out from his team’s preparations for the second annual West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Organised Caribbean Twenty20 tournament, to highlight his pleasure at his teammates’ work attitude.
“I am happy to state that everyone has been putting out a great effort while being committed to what the trainer has been putting out for us to do. This makes the trainer’s work much easier, especially since most of the guys have been doing their own personal work.”
Sarwan highlighted the camaraderie within the team, comparing same to the one he experienced prior to Guyana’s departure to South Africa where they contested the Airtel Champions League.
“The camaraderie amongst the camp right now is great. When you look at the faces of the players, you don’t see a sulky look from anyone, not even the standbys, but a cheerful one and that tells me the guys are enjoying the camp, despite the hard work we are putting in.
“What is also interesting to note is the way the guys have been conducting themselves in the camp. Some people may tend to think that this encampment is something in comparison to a boot camp, but it is different here, as we are a group of players who have been around for awhile.
“Another important factor is the ability to talk to each other when we see somebody going wrong. In this camp, no one is afraid to say what they wish to say, as they have the liberty to do so openly, irrespective of the status of the individual they are talking to. It is not to say that we don’t have respect for each other and stuff like that, as we do, but for us, wrong is wrong and right is right,” said Sarwan.
According to the 30-year-old Sarwan who averages 41.73 from 83 Test matches where he scored 5 749 with 15 centuries and 31 half-centuries, the withdrawal of Narsingh Deonarine from the team due to an injury was a big blow, but he has confidence in his replacement, another discarded West Indies batsman in opener Sewnarine Chattergoon.
“Certainly, losing Narsingh in the middle left us in a position where either Shiv or I will have to bat at number four, as we don’t wish to have too many inexperienced players in the middle, since we already have Royston Crandon, Steven Jacobs and Jonathan Foo.
Narsingh’s all-round ability will be missed and it is rather unfortunate that he got himself injured, but all the members of the team wish him a speedy recovery,” stated Sarwan who also took the time to highlight his own personal feelings with regard to his fitness level.
“I am feeling in the pink of condition. In fact, I am ready and raring to go, ensuring Guyana repeat as champions and at the same time, bring back the bacon which would enable us to go to the Airtel Champions League once again.
“This bunch of players are capable enough to do that and once we play together as a team in the same manner we did in last year’s tournament, then I don’t see why we cannot come out on top once again and place our country in the history annals of West Indies cricket.”
The 14-man squad, minus  West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, have been undergoing a rigorous training and fitness session under national coach Rabindranauth Seeram, trainer Orin Bailey and fitness instructor Kezqweyah Yisrael at the Guyana National Stadium on a daily basis.
Like Sarwan, Yisrael was pleased with the attitude displayed by the players, especially the senior ones when it comes to their training be it strength, core testing of even short sprints.
“What I have seen over the past week was a never-say-die attitude from those players who were placed in a weak category and this was transferred over to the stronger players, who were pushed to the limit by the weaker ones’ attitude and I must commend them for such,” stated Yisrael who is the co-founder of Genesis Fitness Express.