… Botha aiming for top four spot

AT Guyana Amazon Warriors’ first training session yesterday afternoon at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, head coach Johan Botha revealed that former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik will captain Guyana Amazon Warriors for the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign.

Speaking to the media, he said; “I think he did a fantastic job for us last year in the first five games, it was unfortunate he had to leave. He has experience and he will play an important part in this season.”

Malik, 37, made his international cricket for Pakistan in an ODI in 1999, he has played in 345 domestic T20 games, scoring 8 700 runs at a strike rate of 125 and picking up 136 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02.

He previously played for Barbados Tridents, in 44 CPL games, he has 1 390 runs with 10 fifties, and has snared 10 wickets.
Meanwhile, Botha noted that newly appointed ‘Director of Batting’ in the Warriors camp, Shimron Hetmyer’s past year of experience of international cricket with the West Indies will be a key asset to the team.

“He was amazing for us last time, he has had a full year with the West Indies, and he might not have scored as many runs as he would have liked, but yet again we saw glimpses of his potential.”

However, according to Botha, the Warriors will not be solely dependent on Hetmyer; “We have guys that can bat, so the responsibility will not rest on him alone/ We have guys like Nicholas Pooran, of course, Malik, we have the new guy Brandon King, Keemo Paul can bat and Chris Green as well.”

Meanwhile, in the bowling department, Botha expects Ben Laughlin to be vital especially in the closing five overs; Laughlin will be supported by Green, Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Clinton Pestano and Romario Shepherd.

The tournament kicks off on September 4 in Trinidad and Tobago, with matches in Guyana starting on September 5 with Amazon Warriors playing St Lucia Zouks, while on Saturday, September 7, Warriors play St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

On Sunday September 8, Warriors will face Barbados Tridents.
Guyana Amazon Warriors squad reads: Shadab Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Shimron Hetmyer, Ben Laughlin, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Keagan Simmons, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Veerasammy, Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano and Saurab Netravalkar.

MATCHES TO BE PLAYED IN GUYANA
Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) v Zouks: September 5 at 18.00hrs
GAW v Patriots: September 7 at 20.00hrs
GAW v Tridents: September 8 at 17.00hrs
GAW vTallawahs: October 3 at 18.00hrs
GAW v TKR: October 4 at 20.00hrs
Sunday October 6 (Guyana), Two games – Eliminator and Qualifier One