AS he did last year, head coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Roger Harper has commenced preparation for this year’s Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) with four of the local based players, including newcomer Robin Bacchus.

In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport at the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground, where the four players, namely Robin Bacchus, Christopher Barnwell, Trevon Griffith and Steven Jacobs were undergoing net sessions on the concrete surface, Harper expressed his pleasure in their work ethic.
Said Harper, “It’s all about an arrangement we had last year where I started work with the local players to ensure that when the time comes along for the team camp, they will all be at a good level of fitness, while at the same time their skills would have been sharpened.
We are grateful for the opportunity to utilise the concrete facilities here at GYO so we can get some practice even though it is not a full scale one, we can do some batting and bowling drills and we are thankful for that.”
Six Under-19 players in Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Shimron Hetmyer who both played First Class cricket for Guyana this year, along with Kemo Paul, Ashkay Persaud, Kevin Paul and Daniel Basdeo, were added to the franchise team’s lineup for this year’s tournament, giving them added exposure and a chance to rub shoulders with the international players.
However, their absence at the early preparation camp was highly noticed. Meantime, the 51 year old Harper who played 35 Test matches and took 46 wickets at an average of 28.06 with a best of 6 for 57 said they are working at getting the Under-19 players involved in the early preparation camp at a later date.
As it relates to the work ethic of the players, the former Guyana and West Indies all-rounder said, “Our early preparation camp has gone pretty well. The players are enthusiastic and everyone is putting in the work, with the aim of getting to a good level for this year’s tournament.”
Quizzed on a prediction for his team which placed second to the Jamaica Tallawahs in last year’s inaugural tournament, Harper said they are looking to go one better this time around.
Last year’s tournament was played in front of sold-out crowds at all the venues in the Caribbean and the same is expected for this year’s edition, which will be played from July 11 to August 16, with Jamaica Tallawahs set to defend their title against last year’s runner-up, the Guyana Amazon Warriors; Antigua Hawksbills; Barbados Tridents; St Lucia Zouks; and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.
The Guyana franchise, bought by the NEW GPC/Limacol, will play three of their nine preliminary games at home, on July 17 against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel (19:30h); July 19 against St Lucia Zouks (16:00h); and July 20 against Jamaica Tallawahs (16:00h).
Prior to the three home games, the Warriors will play Antigua Hawksbills on July 11; Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on July 24; Barbados Tridents on July 27; Jamaica Tallawahs on August 2; Antigua Hawksbills on August 7; and St Lucia Zouks on August 10 in their final preliminary game.
Guyana Amazon Warriors team reads: Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Lendl Simmons, Dinesh Ramdin, Martin Guptil, Krishmar Santokie, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Navin Stewart, Steven Jacobs, Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Corey Anderson and Trevon Griffith.