… asks Calvin Roberts

TODAY is the deadline given by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to all territorial boards for the submission of their teams to compete in this year’s inaugural WICB NAGICO Super50 tournament which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from January 30 to February 16.The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Senior Selection panel last December named a 37-man squad to commence preparations for both the WICB NAGICO Super50 and Regional four-day tournaments, with that squad which was later trimmed to 26, commencing an encampment phase from December 27, 2013.
Last Monday, two fitness trainers from within the Guyana Defence Force, namely Patrick King and Carl Stephenson, joined the team during one of their net sessions at the Everest Cricket Club ground, where they will be providing impetus as it relates to the fitness level of the squad.
However, while the GCB must be commended for the early preparation as well as the initiative to have two qualified fitness trainers work with the team in the aim of getting them to the fitness level and beyond as required by the WICB, the question being asked among the fraternity is, ‘Who will make up the 14-man squad for the NAGICO Super50?’
One look at the 26-man squad and readily persons would see dependable middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who recently passed Sachin Tendulkar on the list of unbeaten batsmen with centuries among the lot, along with Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Once these two players are fit and readily available to represent Guyana, there are no ifs and buts about them being in any squad leaving these shores, to represent this country in the gentleman’s game.
There are also Leon Johnson, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Assad Fudadin, who along with the above-mentioned duo and Narsingh Deonarine, have represented the West Indies at various levels over the past three years and still have within them yeoman service to give to Guyana’s cricket.
Many would say that the selection of this team should be a walk in the park for the GCB’s Senior Selection Committee, which is led by former national fast bowler Rayon Griffith, but looking at the players during their preparatory encampment period and their work ethics, it is not.
There are several players in the squad, who can fit the role of opener, alongside the regular openers named – Trevon Griffith, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Chandrapaul Hemraj and Rajendra Chandrika – but if I were to select the team, I would ask the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul to take the first ball.
No, it is not to throw the 39-year-old left-hander, who has over 150 Test matches under his belt, to the wolves, but to guide and also stabilise the top order, which in recent times has been lacking the will to withstand the new ball, whether it is being bowled by a spinner or a quickie.
Griffith would be his partner at the other end, with Sarwan, who to date has displayed tremendous timings both in the nets and lone practice encounter, walking to the wicket at the demise of the first opener, be it Chanderpaul or Griffith.
Johnson has time and time again been a rock batting at number four, so why change that now, with Deonarine coming at five, followed by Barnwell, Royston Crandon and the hard-hitting Anthony Bramble, who can also step up to the plate and perform the role of opener.
Our spin twins in Permaul and Bishoo, would follow the known batsmen, as they are also capable of producing totals with the bat, having done so for club, county and country in times past, with Ronsford Beaton who is no slouch with the bat, being the number 11 batsman.
So there is my first-choice 11, but with the WICB requiring a 14-man squad, the other three players would certainly give the selectors a headache, since they are capable players within that lot.
Paul Wintz, Andre Stoll, Raun Johnson and Keon Joseph are the fast bowlers, while Robin Bacchus, who can also execute the role of opener, is a capable character with the ball in hand, despite certain circumstances, so in that case, Wintz and Bacchus would be two of the three remaining players being selected by me, leaving one player to be picked.
Fudadin had a successful tour with the West Indies ‘A’ late last year, while Zaheer Mohammed-Shadir, Jonathan Foo, Rajiv Ivan and several others can throw in their hat in the ring for selection.
One puzzling cricketer is Ivan, who was selected for the same tournament which was played under WICB sponsorship last year, but only had one game against the Windward Islands, where a lot of his teammates were left amazed at the way he handled Shane Shillingford.
He made 19 during a 33-run sixth-wicket partnership with Barnwell, the second highest partnership of the innings, after Griffith and Johnson added 93 for the second wicket, following the early demise of Chandrika, but did not play another game, until the second of two T20 warm-ups against T&T last year, ahead of the twin Island Republic’s campaign in the Champions League.
After Griffith’s 55, 52 from Johnson and Barnwell’s 35, his 19 is the next best score in the Guyanese innings of 198 for 8 off 50 overs, which says he deserves a chance to produce or perish, hence my 14th man in the GCB/WICB NAGICO Super50 lineup.
Therefore, my probable 14 would read in no particular order, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Trevon Griffith, Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Royston Crandon, Narsingh Deonarine, Rajiv Ivan and Anthony Bramble.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
The GCB late yesterday afternoon released the names of the 14 members who will be contesting the WICB NAGICO Super50 tournament, under the captaincy of Christopher Barnwell, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul as his deputy and they will remain encamped until January 25.
The squad reads: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Trevon Griffith, Christopher Barnwell (captain), Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Ronsford Beaton, Paul Wintz, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Royston Crandon, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin and Anthony Bramble.