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Jaguars can’t train as a group due to Covid-19 out-break But team trainer sets programmes to work from home
By Sean Devers
Although Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) has suspended all cricket for at least six weeks due to Global out-break of the Covid-19 virus, including the daily Franchise training at the Everest ground, Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson informed that players are working from home in preparation for the resumption of the Regional First-Class season.
Leon Johnson’s unbeaten 76 in the last game of last season against T&T at Providence, spearheaded Guyana to a fifth title last year.
Johnson also gave his views about bringing in fresh faces for the last two rounds and explained what he felt caused the five-times defending Champions not be as successful as they were in previous years.
“Obviously we can’t train as a group due to the seriousness of the Corona virus that has been going around. But our trainer Neil Barry has set out programmes for us to work at home…. work we can do to keep ourselves in some kind of physical shape.
Players are smart now and well educated about the do’s and the don’ts, both physically and nutritionally,” informed the hard working Johnson.
According to Johnson most of the players have been contacting each other to find out how they were doing and confirmed so far that none of his team mates or their families have been affected by the virus.
“They have been keeping themselves in some kind of fitness so that in case the season restarts in about six weeks’ time, the players will be in some level of fitness,” informed the GCC batsman.
It’s highly unlikely that the Jaguars can overtake leaders Barbados on the points table with just two rounds remaining but Johnson, Guyana’s leading run scorer this season with 447 runs, feels that the best team should play so the Jaguars can have a chance to finish second.
The 32-year-old Johnson, Guyana’s most successful Captain with five consecutive First-Class titles was asked if he felt, taking into consideration Guyana will not win a sixth straight title this season, a few players could be‘blooded’in the last two games.
“Winning the title would be very difficult…almost impossible… but I think depending on what our Franchise would like to achieve at the end of the tournament, I still feel we should always put your best team on the Park. Finishing second is also important to the Franchise,” said the left-handed number three batsman.
Johnson said that it’s not only about giving players a chance because all is lost.
“Players without any experience were picked at the start of the tournament.….(Nial) Smith and (Kevin) Sinclair came in and made their debuts this season.
I always believed that a young player should be given opportunities but not because all is lost they should get the opportunity. As I said players were given exposure at the start of the season as well,” noted Johnson.
The former West Indies U-19 Captain feels that now that the championship is lost you should not be looking to give players exposure just for the sake of it.
“I believe that you should put your best players on the Park since there is still a lot to play for. These guys would want to further their careers, (Veerasammy) Permaul (50) is up there in the wickets,” added Johnson who played nine Test matches and six ODIs for the West Indies.
Johnson explained poor fielding and inconsistent cricket were some of the reasons that Guyana did not do as well as in previous seasons.
“I don’t think we were constantly good enough this season thus far. In previous seasons we were very consistent in doing good things for long periods. I don’t think that happened for us this season.
Our fielding has not been what it used to be …it hasn’t been great. I think in those tight situations …we had a close game against Jamaica….and a couple of games could have gone differently had we held our catches, also in Grenada we let a couple go there,” said Johnson, who along with Chris Barnwell were the only Guyanese with centuries so far.
Johnson says that holistically as a unit the Jaguars were not as consistent as they should have been this season.
“We don’t have the fast bowling points to show but I think that goes back sometimes to not taking the chances off the fast bowlers. Had we taken them it would have been a different game and the tables would have been looking very different now,” said Johnson who has six centuries and 39 fifties from 117 First-Class matches at an Average of 32.40.
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