ON Saturday at the LBI ground on the East Coast of Demerara, the Essequibo U-13 team beat Berbice in the final of the GCB inter-county 40-over tournament to successfully defend the title they had won last year.
Chronicle Sport caught up with the team’s coach, 39-year-old Parmeshwar Persaud, who provided his thoughts on the success of his team and what’s happening with cricket in Guyana’s largest county.
“One of the main reasons we have been doing so well is the academy that the Essequibo Cricket Board introduced.

“There are paid coaches, who every month produce a plan and a report on it for the previous month. Also, most of the academies have under 13, under 15 and under 17 cricketers,” explained Persaud.
However, the coach feels more can be done to sustain the development of the players.

“As it relates to school cricket, nothing wasn’t [sic] being done for the longest [format], while except the Republic Bank Five for Fun and the ExxonMobil primary school tapeball tournament, which some of the under 13 players were part of. Both under 17 and under 13 teams were selected two days before the Inter County tournament and no encampment was done.
“The under 17s had only two days of indoor training before the team was selected, while the under 13s had a two-day development session and two trial matches. This is nowhere close to preparation for a tournament like this. We need about two to three weeks to prepare,” lamented Persaud, who completed his level 11 last year at the Guyana National Stadium.

Persaud, who hails from Affiance in Region Two, stressed that the biggest challenge is the high cost of transportation.
There were some thoughts about procuring two boats and a large bus as Guyana’s largest county is divided by rivers.
There were suggestions to approach the honourable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, for the government’s support in moving teams around the county.

“I’m not a member of the board, but I think that would help. As a coach, I’m not part of the academy programme. The Essequibo Board runs that, I only coach at club and school levels and don’t really have any challenge at these levels,” explained Coach Persaud.
As it relates to grounds, Persaud, the PE Teacher at the Charity Secondary School, said most are playable, adding, “As a coach, if we are going to talk about development I feel at the youth level, these players should be playing more white clothes cricket using red balls. They should be playing two, three or even four-day cricket with a 50 overs one-day tournament. He feels more competitions or programmes should be organised for the youths,” continued the PE Lecturer at the Cyril Potter College of Education.

According to the championship-winning coach, the pitch and outfield are completed at the Anna Regina Stadium. “They are currently working on the infrastructure, including the pavilion, washrooms and other things.”
Persaud disclosed that many young players participate in the senior club cricket every week. There are approximately 20 senior clubs on the Essequibo Coast.
One of the reasons Essequibo is doing well in all levels of Inter-County cricket is that many of the county’s senior players are plying their trade in GCA tournaments in the city.

When asked if this was a good or bad thing, Persaud said it was a personal decision for the individual.
“My opinion is that the level of cricket in Essequibo is a bit lower for these players and to be the best you have to play amongst the best. As a coach, I would like to see more organised cricket played in Essequibo rather than teams just playing for money every weekend. I’m pleading for the return of two or three-day cricket, since this can help to bring back interest in Test cricket among the younger players.”