… Franchise renamed Guyana Amazon Jaguars; Inter-County cricket to be reinstated – GCB president
By Clifton Ross
THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday held its first open house media engagement since taking office months ago, outlining a number of plans and proposals which are set to take effect in 2022.
The engagement was held at the Grand Coast Inn. Hotel on the East Coast of Demerara, some 10 of the 14 GCB executives were present at the event which was geared towards developing/remodelling the current structure of the local fraternity.
One of the most integral aspects of the engagement was the input made by former Guyana and West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan.
The ex-Test batsman turned National Senior Selector for the GCB, said this season will focus on much more, compared to previous years, with heavy emphasis being placed on restoring the batting.
After seasons of being called the Guyana Jaguars, the team was officially renamed Guyana Amazon Jaguars, according to GCB president Bissoondyal Singh.
And in keeping with the new team’s name, Sarwan pointed out that come next season, the Jags could possibly have a new look to accompany their new name.
It was noted that Sarwan and his group of selectors, which include Peter Persuad, Albert Smith, Otto Christiani and junior chairman Andre Percival, have not yet been able to see the players in live action due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, with the upcoming Regional season set for February 2022, a few changes to the team are likely after Sarwan pointed out that players’ performance as well as fitness was under the microscope.
“Some guys have been playing for quite some time and we are not getting the best out of them, so opportunities will be given to young players. We want a smooth transition (with regard from youth to seniors)”, said the chief selector, who added that they are eager to get some cricket going in order to pick their squad.
He further explained that apart from the overall batting boost needed, he was worried about the players who are heavily involved in T20 and in some instances T10 cricket.
‘Sars’ as he’s known around the cricket world, said he believes the short-version specialists have been failing their fitness tests more often than those who play 4-Day and 50-Overs cricket and that is a huge concern.
“We have to take a stricter approach to players’ fitness, striking a balance between ODI and 4-Day cricket. We need to build a good batting side and get them to an average of 40-45 in 1st Class Cricket. Players need to take responsibility for their fitness, because we’re not having issues with the 4-Day and ODI guys; it’s more about T10 and T20 and we will speak with them.”
One particular topic regarding the Amazon Jags is the captaincy, going forward, given the fantastic job that Leon Johnson has done over the years for the franchise and his country, making the Jags arguably the best 4-Day outfit in the Caribbean for the majority of the Professional Cricket League’s (PCL) existence.
Speaking on the future of Johnson, the ex-West Indies batter said, “He (Johnson) has done well and we would like to have him there for him to groom the future players but he has to lead from the front with the bat.”
The selector also earmarked youth players Matthew Nandu and Kevlon Anderson for great things next year, hopefully stating that the duo are among a number of young rookie prospects on the selectors’ radar for the 2022-23 season.
Meanwhile, GCB president Singh, after officially announcing the name change of the Guyana Amazon Jaguars, added that some of the short-, medium- and long-term planning will focus on selecting the best possible national teams for junior and senior levels, the reintroduction of Inter-County cricket on all levels, a detailed description of schools’ cricket and countrywide coaching programme for all levels.
Singh also hinted at the development of an academy which will solely focus on the growth of women’s cricket across Guyana, coupled with more endeavours directed towards overhauling the structure of the sport in 2022 and beyond.
