DESPITE not winning the latest staging of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) title, Captain of Smith’s XI Fazeer Khan said he and his team are determined to take their game to another level, while speaking to Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview, where he outlined plans for his team for the rest of the year.
Khan said his team since acquiring full sponsorship from popular Essequibo businessman Phillip Smith has been moving ahead smoothly, noting that they are planning to compete in several competitions this year with the view of lifting the standard of their game.
“Our players have the ability and skills to win any competition. However, some of the players have become somewhat complacent and therefore we recognise that our game level has to be improved,” he said.
He said that since the formation of the team after a split last year from Cotton Field Wild Oates, they have competed in three competitions winning the Essequibo leg of the GFSCA organised competition, before suffering mixed fortunes in the Guyana Cup competition and the national playoff.
“In both competitions, we could have performed far better than we did and part of it was due to complacency by some of the players. Nevertheless it was a molding and learning stage for the guys as it was our first major competition since competing together and we are now focused and ready to face whatever challenge that confronts us as a team,” a confident Khan said.
Quizzed on whether the breaking away of several players from the then Cotton Field Wild Oates may have resulted in a weak team, Khan dismissed this stressing that the newly form Smith XI have the calibre of players to win any competition.
“We have the right guys that has the ability to take the team to places and while we have not started off on the best footing we are quickly finding our footing so I am predicting that before the end of the year we would win a few titles.”
He added that with the support being offered thus far from the team’s sponsor Phillip Smith, they are determined to produce, noting that it was Smith who readily offered to sponsor the team after word had spread that a new team was being formed.
He said that despite the fact that several of the players have played for several other teams in the past, they are all gelling nicely noting that there is an unbreakable bond that had already been established among the players.
“A lot of the guys have played for other teams but what is interesting to know is that they are all gelling together nicely and that is what is very important as it means that we are still and will continue to be a strong unit as time goes by,” Khan said.
He noted that they have been meeting regularly to have practice sessions pointing out that while this have proven to be challenging, somewhat owing to a number of persons personal commitments, it is working well.
“We do have some difficulties and challenges like any other team but I must stress that we have been able to work on ironing out this. What is important is that we all recognize that if Smith’s XI is going to make a positive impact, then we would have to be able to stay united and play strong,” he said.
Khan pointed out that the players are all training very hard declaring that they are a very strong team which he foresees will be a force to reckon with in the very near future.
“Since we have formulated ourselves as a team we have been meeting at various cricket grounds across Essequibo to hold our practice sessions.
We do not have a ground of our own like several other teams as our team is made up of several players from various villages. However, we are determined to win every match and regardless of the opponent’s record and or image, Smith XI goes out with one objective and that is to win,” he said.
Commenting on the ready gesture by the businessman to sponsor the team, Khan pointed out that Smith was very impressed with the idea of the new team along with the fact that he is confident that with the caliber of players, that the team will be one of the most prominent team not only in Essequibo but across Guyana.
When asked as to what has been the team’s greatest moment since being formed, Khan smilingly said that overcoming their former team and now rivals, Cotton Field Wild Oates, adding that they are still being regarded as one of Essequibo’s top teams.