Nagamootoo axed from Berbice 20/20 squad

Nov 27, 2008 Sports

Esuan Crandon named Captain

Mahendra Nagamootoo

Esuan Crandon

By Sean Devers
National 20/20 player Mahendra Nagamootoo has been axed from a Berbice 20-man squad from which the county’s team to participate in the National Pepsi/Carib 20/20 Inter County cricket tournament will be selected on Friday.

The 33-year-old leg-spinner who played five Tests and 24 ODIs for the West Indies was a member of the Stanford Superstars training squad this year before the final squad to face England for US$1Million was selected and his omission is surprising since the experienced campaigner, who has 370 wickets from 102 first class games, was the Guyana Vice-Captain in the just concluded President’s Cup regional one-day tournament.

Medium pacer Esuan Crandon, who missed the President’s Cup series due to a leg injury, has been named captain while Assad Fudadin, who seemed ideally suited for a middle order position in a four-day game, has been appointed Crandon’s deputy.

Assad Fudadin

Berbice face defending champions Demerara in the opening game of the Pepsi/Carib competition from 13:00hrs at Blairmont on Saturday before Essequibo play back-to-back matches on Sunday when they face Berbice from 09:00hrs and Demerara from 13:00hrs at Blairmont. The two top teams will clash at the Providence Stadium in the final under lights next Friday.

The Berbice 20-man squad will be engaged in two practice sessions at Albion today and tomorrow from 13:00hrs each day before the final 14-man squad is named tomorrow afternoon.

While Demerara seems to have taken advantage of the Guyana Cricket Board’s rule which states that any county can have two guest players in their line-up, both Berbice and Essequibo have not utilized this rule.

While Essequibo are yet to officially release their team it is understood that the team will be captained by Norman Fredericks with Latchman Rohit as his Vice-Captain while there is no room for former Captains Trevon Garraway and Denish Joseph. Demerara beat Berbice in last year’s final at the Stadium.

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