AS IS CUSTOMARY with any cricketer, it is always an honour and privilege to be called to your national team, and in the case of those who are playing in the Caribbean, they would say country, then the West Indies team. With that in mind, it was no surprise when Georgetown Cricket Club’s (GCC) and Guyana’s national skipper Leon Johnson expressed his elation at being called to the West Indies team for their second Test match against the visiting New Zealand lineup, which commences tomorrow at the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago.Speaking with Chronicle Sport from the 3Ws Oval where he was encamped with the West Indies High Performance Centre who are presently engaging the Bangladesh-A team in all three formats of the game, Johnson said he is looking to make the selectors proud for exercising their faith in him.

“Yes, I am elated with the call-up to the team for the second Test against New Zealand. I would not say it is overdue, as I had over 16 months of first class cricket where I have been averaging over 50 in my last 16 games.
“When I look at the current state of the team’s middle order, with the exception of Shiv Chanderpaul, I see that the batting is struggling and what I have to offer is some stability to the middle order, based on the form I am currently in and I am looking forward to giving of my best for the team,” said Johnson.
The 26-year-old Johnson, who was appointed Guyana’s captain for this year’s Regional four-day season, missed the first three games through a knee injury, but returned to take over the reins and scored his second first-class ton, 110, against the Leeward Islands.
He came away as Guyana’s leading run-scorer, aggregating 295 runs at an average of 59.00 from the three matches he played, while his overall average stands at 31.48 from 48 matches, in which he has scored 2 519 runs.
One would remember the 2007/08 domestic season, when Johnson scored 427 runs at an average of 42.70 from 6 matches for Guyana in the Carib Beer Series, in which he fell six runs short of his maiden first-class century on March 7 2008, when he edged a wide delivery from off-spinner Shirley Clarke against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).
Johnson also scored 51 off 77 balls in a 128-run stand with Xavier Marshall, who in the same innings broke the record for number of sixes hit in an ODI, as West Indies beat Canada by 49 runs.
Later that year, the ODI squad to tour Pakistan was announced, with Johnson as one of the members. Then West Indies coach John Dyson had stated that Johnson’s performance against Canada and Bermuda had shown he was ready to perform against leading cricket teams such as Pakistan.
On the same day, it was announced that Johnson was one of four players – along with Lionel Baker, Brendan Nash and Kemar Roach – without a Test cap, to be named in the 15-man squad selected to tour New Zealand for a Test series, but Johnson did not play in the series.
The soft-spoken Johnson, who was born on August 8 1987, is now set to become Guyana’s 48th Test cricketer, having seen his national teammates Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo being presented with their Test cap within the last five years.
He will also be following in the footsteps of Shivnarine Chanderpaul Reon King, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Neil McGarrell as Test players from the Shivnarine Chanderpaul Drive-based GCC within the last two decades.
The left-handed batsman, who also bowls right-hand leg breaks, expressed thanks to his wife, family, coach Monte Lynch, executives of GCC, personal trainer Kezqweyah Yisrael, his cousin Keino and all his club mates who spent hours bowling at him.
“Yes, some would say that the hard work has paid off, but for me while that is so, the work has only become much harder since I have to work double now to maintain my place in the team; but I wish to take the time to say thanks to all and sundry for their time and patience,” stated Johnson.
Meanwhile, Director of Sport within the National Sports Commission (NSC) Neil Kumar yesterday morning offered his congratulations to Johnson, saying his selection is a long overdue one on a team whose middle order has been struggling.
“It is a good step in the right direction by the WICB. He is a solid middle order batsman and a strong utility player who has a good cricket head on his shoulder.
“I have been following his exploits since he captained the West Indies Under-19 team to the 2006 Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka and to my mind, his game has improved by leaps and bounds, with this call-up being the icing on the cake for him,” said Kumar.
He added, “Johnson went on to lead Guyana in this year’s West Indies regional four-day tournament, having led his home club GCC well in the first division competition and with his present form, I am waiting anxiously for him to not only break into the final 11, but also celebrate that with his first Test century. Congratulations to him and all the best in his future endeavours.”
Chronicle Sport and all of Guyana wish to express congratulations to Johnson, as he moves forward in the Test arena, making us proud.
Written By Calvin Roberts