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Letters to the Sports Editor…High praise for Guyana’s T20 performance

Jan 25, 2013 Sports

 

 

Dear Editor,
From the inception I was pleased with the selection of the Guyana team even though it was done without the Inter County playoffs that would have given the selectors a more favorable insight into the eventual composition of the team.
Notwithstanding, the Amazon Conquerors would have done Guyana proud despite their failure to win the finals against Trinidad & Tobago in the just concluded Caribbean T20 tournament in St. Lucia.
Perhaps the team was overwhelmed by the occasion or even the early evening moisture of the pitch which I thought made an immediate impression on the game for Trinidad, a team that majorly consisted of players that would have represented the West Indies.
Also Guyana having played four consecutive matches may have been a contributing factor in their passive display in the final.
I listened to the radio commentary for the duration of the tournament since the local television did not provide coverage and indeed the praises for the Guyanese were gratifying to the ear as one commentator after another extolled the achievements of the players.
In fact the radio commentary was amazingly exciting especially for Guyana’s nail-biting victories against Combined Campuses and the Windward Islands.
The commentaries also tested my composure and resolve to remain loyal to the existence of my radio!
It was an unforgettable tournament especially to see our local talent rise to the occasion as the Caribbean was stunned and had to duly salute Christopher Barnwell instead of Christopher Gayle (rare upstage) in the semi-finals against Jamaica, despite the indomitable Jamaican’s savage century.
Then to proudly listen to the legendary Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop’s expert acknowledgement of the fast bowling prowess of Ronsford Beaton was a magnanimous gesture as he won brief duels against Gayle and Pollard.
I had my initial thoughts of fear from the duo but given Beaton’s amazing pace and variation I am confident of his rapid rise to international stardom in the near future.
While Barnwell and Beaton were exceptional, I was also encouraged by the mental strength and belief of the team as Steven Jacobs stood out when it mattered against Barbados and so was the seemingly ignored Leon Johnson against the Winward Islands.
Nothing will erase the supreme skill of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his versatility was evident in his few innings before his disappointing injury;  the same can be said of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine, their collective talent though short of expectation in the tournament will evolve as matured professionals, no doubt for Guyana and the West Indies very soon.
Collectively the team must be credited given the continued impasse between the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which did not provide an ideal environment for the preparation of the team.
I believe also that there was not sufficient Public Relations regarding the team’s progress during training whereby the public could have been more interested and even morally attached to the team.
This scenario has to change very quickly since the unprecedented feat by Trinidad & Tobago is not a coincidence but a combination of thorough practice and training over a long period of time, professional guidance from experts in different fields, mutual understanding between the Administrative Board and the Government, public interest in the welfare of the team and effectively having a competent and supportive technical work force.
It is in the best interest for the future of quite a promising group of players for there to be a united Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), encapsulating the ideas and dreams of the three counties that should form a solid strategic framework for the future development of the game in Guyana.
In fact I have noted with great pleasure the elevation of young Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Ricardo Adams to the senior team; two of the finest talent, the former undisputedly gifted while the latter is as exciting as Kieron Pollard.
Such vast reservoir of promise is indicative of a country preserving and reinforcing the legacy of our heroes such as Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Alvin Kallicharran among others.
The T20 team has given much hope for the future and they would have no doubt inspired many young cricketers to live their dreams of one day proudly representing Guyana.
Elroy Stephney

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