‘No Inter-County or Trial matches to be held’ Colin Stuart

Sep 17, 2015 Sports

By Sean Devers

Former West Indies Test pacer Colin Stuart and Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Territorial Development Officer (TDO) informed that there would no Inter-County four-day cricket tournament or no trials to pick Guyana’s team for the second edition of the WICB’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day First Class tournament which starts on November 6.
“An Inter-County tournament was scheduled but we (GCB) were unable play it due to rain but we now have plans to run off an eight-team semi-professional league from which we can gage the players outside the pool of 15 contracted players and the 12 who are on the Academy contracts,” said Stuart, who rejoined the new Board in 2013 after a stint in the same position during the period 2005 -2008.
The former Malteenoes quickie is the direct liaison officer of the GCB with the WICB on all development programmes.
He disclosed this league will start from year end since the GCB is looking for sponsorship for it and planning a structure and format for such a competition which will involve players from all three counties in Guyana and hopefully players from overseas.
The 41-year-old who took 30 wickets from six Tests between December 2000 and November 2001, says that anyone who is playing competitive cricket for any first division team and consistently does well is eligible for National consideration under the pay-per-play system which offers only a match fee for matches you play even if you are not contracted by the Board.
Stuart agreed that it could be difficult to pick players outside of those contracted with no trials or Inter-County cricket being played but said the league system should correct this from next season.
“We (GCB) planned an Inter-County competition but unfortunately that was washed out. As we get closer to the tournament they are training sessions for all contracted players including the Academy guys. We also have two simulation games and next month we plan to play two practice games,” said Stuart who is mandated to deliver, jointly, with the GCB, development initiatives in line with the goals, strategies and objectives of the GCB for cricket in Guyana.
Meanwhile, assistant coach of T&T, Kelvin Williams said on Tuesday that trial games to pick the T&T Franchise for the new season are still important.
“After the last season there was a lot of discussion concerning what went wrong, and areas that we could improve on, therefore those are the areas that the coach is working on,” said the 56-year-old Williams who made four fifties and took 59 wickets from 27 First-Class matches for T&T.
“We have 15 contracted players, out of which there are two from overseas,” he pointed out. This leaves us with 13 and we cannot have practice matches with that number; we need extra players to play.
“What the coach (Gus Logie) decided to do is to invite a lot of people who he believes have the potential to represent TT. So at this present time, with the 13 players that we have, we still have another 13 who will be on the fringe, to see how they perform in the trials,” Williams informed.
The first T&T trial game was washed out this week and it is hoped that another game could start tomorrow.

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