Biggest challenge could be adapting from T20 to 4-day cricket

Jan 27, 2011 Sports

Says new National Coach Mark Harper

By Sean Devers

New National cricket Coach Mark Harper feels the biggest challenge for his team preparing for their opening Regional First-Class game against Jamaica in Jamaica from next Friday is adapting from T20 to 4-day cricket.
The 53-year-old Harper, who takes over from fellow former Guyana middle order batsman Ravindra Seeram, said the last three years had not been good for Guyana’s cricket and feels that this country’s cricket is at a critical stage since he feels the players are better than their recent results suggest.
Harper, who scored two centuries in 30 First-Class games for Guyana said he was pleased with the composition of the side adding that he thinks there are about 35 cricketers in Guyana good enough to produce at Regional level.
“We have talented players but they are areas that they need to improve on and we had a look at Guyana performance over the last three years and tried to see where we went wrong. During our preparations we will be looking at areas such as playing fast bowling and we are using a bowling machine to help in this regard. We will be also working on the player’s ability to perform in pressure situations,” Harper said.
The 13-man squad along with the stand-bys and a few ‘practice bowlers’ had its first ‘net’ session yesterday afternoon at Bourda after a fitness test was done on the players who did not participate in this month’s Caribbean T20 competition.
The squad will have a training session this morning and again practice at Bourda this afternoon before participating in a two-day practice match at the same venue tomorrow and Saturday.
Harper, a former Bermuda National team Coach explained that preparation will involve plenty of ‘goal-setting’ as the players work on specifics.
“The bowlers will be working on their line and length and concentration while the batsmen will be practicing running between the wickets and batting against the bowling machine,” Harper informed.
Harper, the brother of former Test off-spinner Roger Harper, said he expects his new job to be challenging, but added that with the proper support from those involved, the results should improve although just one week of preparation for such a competition is not the ideal situation.
He said the team is a good all-round side even though the batting results have not shown that and feels the bowling should be the strength since the experience of Test players Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shiv Chanderpaul (World Cup duties), Travis Dowlin (not selected) and Narsingh Deonarine (injured) will be missed at this level.
Deonarine, who missed the Caribbean T20 tournament due to a shoulder injury, is not yet fully fit and his place in the touring party will be taken by Vishaul Singh who made 2 games last year.
According to Harper he accepted the job since he feels it’s an honour to be asked to do anything for your country. “I have the experience, desire and technical know-how to be effective at this time when a lot of things off of the field are affecting things on the field and I hope I can make a positive difference to Guyana’s cricket,” the former right-handed batsman said.
While the previous Coach Seeram and Coach Albert Smith whom he took over from in 2009 were selectors, Harper, who was a Georgetown and Demerara selector, is not a National selector.
“I don’t think the Coach has to be on the selection panel… but any Coach, not just me, should be a part of the selection process since he would be closer to the players and understand what type of composition is required for the different conditions and opponents,” Harper opined.
The bespectacled Harper, who played at the First-Class level between 1974 and 1991, was busy with his camcorder recording yesterday’s sessions and it was disclosed that the GCB’s Video Analyst Robin Singh should be with the team from today.
GCB official Reon King informed that recommendations have been made to the board for Singh and a physiotherapist, who both traveled with the team to South Africa last year for the Champions Trophy, to accompany the team to Jamaica next week.
Teenage pacer Rensford Beaton is the only player without First-Class experience in the side which is Captained by West Indies ‘A’ team left-hander Assad Fudadin.
Guyana’s second match is a home game against the Leewards from February 11-14 before they travel to St Vincent to play the Windwards in the third round of the competition from February 18-21.

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Biggest challenge could be adapting from T20 to 4-day cricket

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