“Guyana’s CLT-20 2010 Effort – A rough road to travel; a long, long way to go!”

Aug 22, 2010 Sports

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By Colin Croft
Many would think that I should get into the melee that is the Champion’s League fiasco, with the Guyana Cricket Board in one corner, the Guyana cricket team in the 2nd corner, the West Indies Cricket Board in a 3rd corner, and, to complete the boxing ring, there is the West Indies Players Association in that 4th corner.  They are all culpable here.
“If you are holding your head up, while all around you are falling down and losing theirs, you might be thought of as being mad, senile, out of place or overly-ambitious!”
I could not get into the rhetoric and deliberate noise, as I do not, and most others do not either, know all of the specific details of the situation.  I have a very good idea of what is the CLT-20 2010, and Guyana’s participation.  Indeed, I know much more than most, as I have been privy to most; not all; of the communications between the warring parties.
However, I think that it is very bad form to give situations that are suggested as being concrete, when all of the facts, not the fantasy, are not fully known.  It is one thing to give an opinion; it is quite another to use that opinion as a suggested fact.
That is, simply, very poor and desperate journalism.  Here in the Caribbean, we get away with so much stupidity and noise because we are indeed in the 3rd World; some say the 13th World; where few standards are met.  I will always refuse to go along that route.
My opinions are mine, but when it comes to facts, I could not, like so many do, use my thoughts and opinions as facts.  I would need all of the real details!
To be honest, I am not too worried about the whole thing at all.  Most of these things, especially those with finite dimensions, have a way of working themselves out in the end.
The CLT-20 2010 will go on, with Guyana being fully there too.  I am more concerned, worried even, about the actual representation as ambassadors off and on the field of play.
What bothers me more is that the public face that has, again, been presented by West Indies cricket is very poor diplomacy.  It is just so much useless, noisy, senseless crap, going nowhere.  Surely this could have been handled in a much better way.
What I would do is to repeat as I had done in a previous article eons ago, when a young female soca artiste died in a horrid car crash while going, extremely speedily, from one fete to another, to perform, trying to make the most of the day, time and opportunity.
Michael Douglas had said, in the film “Wall Street.” – ‘Greed, for want of another word, is good.’  However, this time, I am not so sure, but greed it still is!
There are always two sides to any story.  Here, there are four and all of the sides do have a good claim.
Obviously, the players involved should get the real bulk of the money, but both the GCB and the WICB should also get some satisfaction and recompense for their efforts to help out in this situation.  For representing the players, WIPA also should be rewarded.
The utter unprofessionalism, nastiness and noise need not have happened!
So, Guyana’s preparation for the CLT-20 2010 goes on apace.  Belatedly, grudgingly even, after finding all sorts of excuses for not winning the Caribbean’s tournament, and, as is the normal case of those who lose – check out boxing – making sufficient noise to deflect their own inabilities and inefficiencies, and not giving credit where credit is due, to the winners, Trinidad & Tobago’s cricket team is to play Guyana in a few warm-up games, to help the Caribbean’s representative on their way to the CLT-20 2010.
That is exactly as it should be!  Some have even dubbed the two games next weekend as ‘grudge matches’.  How they come to this conclusion, I really do not know.
Nothing is at stake here, except for Guyana to get some needed, very serious practice and assistance in their preparations.  Indeed, the onus should have always been on the GCB to find such opposition, so as to assess its team’s strengths.
Experiments in both batting and bowling orders would probably be in order, for Guyana, to find out their winning combinations.  Overall, though, the Guyanese camp should be grateful for the help from Trinidad & Tobago.
In my mind, these games are simply warm up games.  Whether Guyana wins or loses, one or both, all that the exercise would do, practically, is to help Guyana understand how ready they really are for the foray to South Africa.
But, what of Guyana and the teams that it will play against initially, in the preliminary CLT-20 stages?  Only after winning some of these will they qualify for further honours.
Firstly, the Guyanese initial first round schedule, tough, if they are to progress further.
Guyana has to be prepared to play against Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 12 at Super-Sport Centurion, near Pretoria.
Their 2nd game, September 16, is against Mumbai Indians, at Kingsmead, in Durban.
Game 3 for the Guyanese, on September 19, will be against the Lions at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
On September 21, Guyana plays South Australia at the same venue; Guyana’s 4th game.
From these games, the Guyanese must win at least two games, preferably three or even all four, to have the possibility to progress to the semi-finals.  That will not be easy at all, given the tough opposition.  Winning all four games will certainly make them qualify.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (India) includes known players – Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Robin Utappa, Ross Taylor and Cameron White.
Mumbai Indians (India) has luminaries – Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Bravo, J-P Duminy, Harbajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ryan Mc Laren, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard.
The Highveld Lions (South Africa) have some good players too – Alviro Petersen, Zander de Bruyn, Thami Tsolekile and Vaughn van Jaarsveld.
South Australia (Australia) will be strong too, with many well respected players – Shaun Tait, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Harris and Tim Ludeman.
Compare those names, some of them highly illustrious, to those of some of the Guyanese.
Jonathan Foo, after his exploits at the last Caribbean T-20, has the opportunity to become as well known as Kieron Pollard. With his heritage and athleticism, he is a natural.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Narsingh Deonarine and Travis Dowling are all well know, well-respected international players.  They will have to lead, while players like Assad Fuddadin, Lennox Cush and Davendra Bishoo will have to augment well.
The players should not have had to go through the emotional let-downs they have done after the almighty highs they experienced in T&T a few weeks ago.  Like the professionals that they claim they are, the Guyanese must, now, as Sir Winston Churchill once suggested; ‘KBO’ – keep buggering on!
Guyana’s CLT-20 2010 road has been bumpy, but it is still holding its head up high.  After the excitement of the Caribbean’s T-20 win, the preparations have had quite tough!

Hearts of Oak Master football programme receives boost from NAPS

The Hearts of Oak Football Club Annual “Teach Them Young” summer camp and football coaching programme recently received a boost with the donation of a quantity of football gear from Members of the New Amsterdam Primary and Secondary School Foundation (NAPS) local chapter on behalf of their overseas counterparts.
The gear included a quantity of footballs and track Boots.
The presentation was made by Head Coach of the Local chapter, former national player Sherwin Forde to Coordinator of the ‘Teach Them Young’ Summer Programme former national player Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey during one of the training session at the Scots Church Ground, Princess Elizabeth Road in New Amsterdam.
Forde in handing over the gear stated that it is all part of the foundation’s aim of assisting football in New Amsterdam and the East Berbice area in general in whatever way possible.  He also stated that NAPS has a lot more in store to offer.
Humphrey in accepting the gifts acknowledge that it was a timely gesture. He assured the presenters that the gear will be used by the younger ones attending the camp and also in the community for the upliftment of their football standards. He also thanked the NAPS foundation for such a timely intervention and hoped that it is just the start of a long and fruitful relationship.    (Samuel Whyte)

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