Latest update December 12th, 2024 1:00 AM
Gajanand Singh’s new lease on cricket career One of 5 Guyanese picked in 44-man US squad
By Sean Devers
Gajanand Singh
Gajanand Singh sweeps during his innings against TKR in 2017 (Sean Devers photo)
Kaieteur News – Former West Indies Under-19 and Guyana First-Class batsman Gajanand Singh is among five Guyanese (all Berbicians) selected in a 44-man USA squad for preparations in Texas for the Osman Tri-Nation ODI series.
The Osman series is the pathway to the ICC’s 2023 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for Zimbabwe from June 18 to July 9, 2023.
Of the five, only Albion’s Narsingh Deonarine has played Test and ODIs for the West Indies, while the 33-year-old Singh, from Young Warriors, has made two fifties in 10 First-Class and played two 50-over matches for Guyana.
Albion’s Akshay Homraj represented Guyana in the 2013 & 2014 Regional U-19 and has played eight ODIs for the USA, while Rose Hall Town’s Dominic Ricki, who played U-19 cricket for Guyana in 2010 & 2011 and Tucber Park’s left-arm spinner Trinson Carmichael have all represented Guyana at the youth level.
Gajanand was born on October 3, 1987 to Sahadeo Singh and Mayadevi Singh at his home in Cumberland Village East Canje where he grew up and has two siblings; Ravina and Ishwar, who was the Young Warriors’Keeper at first division level.
The cricketer attended the Cumberland Nursery and Primary schools before graduating to the New Amsterdam Multilateral and then the Berbice High School.
“Growing up was fun. I lived across the Road from the Young Warriors Cricket Club ground so I was always an outdoors person from young. I played pretty much all sports at School, Cricket, Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Table Tennis among others.
I was about 8-9 years old when the Young Warriors was formed and my dad was the Manager. Whenever they had games I would go with him and that’s how my interest in cricket started,” said the left hander.
Gajanand, who made his first-class debut as a 20-year-old, said he always wanted to be a cricketer.
“I first played league cricket in Trinidad in 2007 for Wanderers Cricket after playing in CPL the same year. Their system is more organised and the standard of club cricket is much higher than in Guyana,” disclosed Gajanand who played three seasons in Trinidad.
Not being selected for the Guyana 50-over team after a fairly successful CPL made the choice easier for him to leave Guyana for the USA.
“Some Guyanese friends in New York invited me to play a tournament in Queens.
Around December 2017 after having a good CPL I was asked to stay in Guyana to play in the 2018 Super50 and was surprised to be left out,” explained the Guyana Amazon Warriors batsman.
Gajanand informed that the cricket standard in the USA is improving at a steady pace.
The Stylish stroke player disclosed that his most memorable game was an under-19 game 2006 against Barbados at Bourda.
“In that game Kemar Roach bowled really fast in that game… in fact he (Roach) is the fastest bowler I have ever faced,” remembered Gajanand who played in the 2006 U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
“US cricket Administrators are working very hard to professionalize the game across the States.
I have been playing here since 2013 and played for several clubs over the years in different leagues,” Gajanand said
Gajanand explained that during this pandemic he is making the necessary adjustments to make his wife and daughter safe where they live in the Bronx, New York.
“It was not really hard to adjust to the culture here because there is a large Caribbean and Guyanese population in New York so it was easy to adjust,” Gajanand concluded.
The USA will compete in the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. Oman will host the USA and Nepal in the sixth series of League 2 from March 19 with six ODIs being played.
Oman, with 16 points sits on top of the table, while the USA team are second with 12 points as they being the road to India where the 2023 World Cup will be held.
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