Harper feels mental toughness will be critical in S/Africa

Aug 26, 2010 Sports

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The Think Tank! Roger Harper (backing camera) makes a point as (from left), Coach Seeram, Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, Manager Carl Moore and Trainer Orin Bailey pay keen attention during a training session at the Stadium yesterday.

Coach Seeram says bowling is weak link

By Sean Devers

Guyana will play four tough matches in South Africa next month as they aim to advance to the ‘final four’ of the Champions League 20/20 tournament and former West Indies Coach Roger Harper feels that mental strength will be critical if the South Americans are to be successful.
Last year in India, Trinidad and Tobago set the standards for Caribbean team very high when they played unbeaten until losing to New South Wales in the final and the Guyanese, who will represent the region in this year’s competition after winning the Caribbean 20/20 Championships, are stepping up preparations for their biggest cricketing assignment ever.
Yesterday morning the team had fielding drills and physical sessions at the Guyana National Stadium before doing match simulation at the same venue during the afternoon.
The team will have two more hectic sessions at Providence today before facing T&T in two practice matches under lights at the Stadium this weekend.
Harper commenced work with the team last Monday and will be mainly working with the bowlers while Coach Ravindra Seeram will supervise the batting sessions.
Harper, who will not travel with the team, said that the focus at present is bowling at the ‘death’ while still paying attention to ‘length’ bowling.
“It’s important in 20/20 cricket to be able to bowl yorkers consistently and that’s what we are working on at present. The mental aspect of bowling is also important and we will be dealing with that as we get closer to departure but right now we are concentrating on skill,” Harper told Kaieteur Sports during a break in the team’s training yesterday.
Harper, a former Test off-spinner who was coach of the Stanford Superstars which beat England in Antigua for US$20,000,000 last year, informed that the players are ‘putting in the hard work’ and are all at an acceptable level of fitness.
The former Guyana Captain however said that after three days with the squad, which is missing key all-rounder Lennox Cush who will return from the USA tomorrow after representing that country in Italy, need to show a bit more focus on concentration which if done, should see greater improvements.
Harper says the two games this weekend will be a great opportunity to assess the team as a unit and to see how they react in pressure situations to get a good idea if they have made significant strides in various areas.
When T&T began their 2009 Champions League campaign they were not given much of a chance by most people yet they created upset after upset and Harper says that the same could be said of Guyana this year.
“The fact that we won the Caribbean title and beat Trinidad and Tobago shows that the team has the talent to emulate T&T performance in the Champions League and go on the world stage and do well. Once they play to their full potential in every department in every match they can go all the way,” Harper opined.
“I believe that mental toughness will be critical to Guyana doing well in South Africa. If they are willing to respond to challenges and not look for excuses this will make them adapt easier under pressure against some of the best players in the world.
It will also be important how the batsmen adjust to the hard, bouncy pitches in South Africa and they have to continue showing team work in South Africa to be successful,” Harper explained.
Seeram, the coach when Guyana beat Barbados in the Caribbean 20/20 Championship final in Trinidad, said that the bowling was the weak link in the Caribbean tournament but is confident that Harper’s involvement will produce improvement in that area.
“Most of the guys are very fit and everyone seems to be enjoying the sessions. The guys know how big this is for them and Guyana and we have been doing batting sessions at the Stadium nets and at the indoor facility at LBI while Roger has been working with the bowlers,” Seeram said.
The former Guyana First-Class middle order batsman said he was satisfied with the preparations and said that this weekend’s matches are very important since the team needs high quality practice before leaving for South Africa.
“This (weekend matches) is important for our preparation and we hope to utilize all of the 15 players. I know we will be going out there to play really hard competitive cricket but I won’t say it’s a grudge match since they (T&T) have agreed to come and we need this competitive practice since we won’t be having anymore matches until we play Royal Challengers Bangalore in our first match in South Africa,” Seeram disclosed.
The coach said that after the two matches this weekend the last three or four days will be spent doing match simulations and mental strength sessions.
Orin Bailey who will travel as the team trainer says the mood in the camp is great and that the players are all ‘putting in huge efforts’ during the physical sessions.
Guyana play their opening match on September 12 before facing Mumbai Indians on the 16th, Highveld Lions on the 19th and the Red Backs on the 21st in their preliminary round games and will need at least three wins to advance to the semi-finals.

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