Johnson provides update on Jaguars activities in Antigua Talks about his injury and plans for Red Force

Feb 19, 2021 Sports

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By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – At 33, Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson is aiming to join Roy Fredericks, Clive Lloyd, Roger Harper, Milton Pydanna, Shiv Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper as Captains to lead Guyana to Regional 50-overs titles.
Johnson, who along with Christopher Barnwell, have scored Guyana’s centuries in this year’s CG Insurance Regional Super50 Championships, is aiming to give Guyana it’s 10 title and first since 2005 when Guyana, led by Jaguars Manager/Assistant Coach Shiv Chanderpaul, beat Barbados at Bourda in the KFC cup final.
The Jaguars, who face-off with the unbeaten pre-tournament favorites Trinidad & Tobago Red Force tomorrow, are also unbeaten but have played one match less than the Red Force; beating Barbados, Leewards and Jamaica. The Jaguars will play their last match on Monday in their only day game.
“The team is in very high spirits…winning our first three games, we had a day off on Tuesday and practice today (Wednesday), spirits are high due to wins we have posted coming off a disappointing 2019 Super50 and it’s good to have already qualified for the semi-finals, but it’s about not being complacent and taking one game at a time” informed Johnson while speaking on the Sean Devers Sports Watch on Kaieteur Radio last Wednesday.
“I think we just have to keep working hard…keep training hard. The guys put in a lot of work when we got here. We were a bit hampered at home in terms of preparations. Obviously conditions in Guyana are very different to here in Antigua and the guys put in a lot of here.
We did not have any practice under light in Guyana and none is planned for here but that’s not an issue. To be honest most of the guys here have played under lights so that’s not an issue,” said Guyana’s most successful First-Class Captain.
Johnson, who played nine Test and six ODIs, spoke about the pitches in Antigua.“The pitches here are good for batting, the dimensions of the Coolage Ground are a bit small but the pitch is good.
In previous years, the teams bowling first at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium had a slight advantage because for some reason the pitches had some extra moisture for a nine-o-clock start. We have not played any games there but those who played have there have said that the pitch there is also good to bat on. The fast outfield at Sir Viv ground has contributed to the high volume of runs scored there,” said Johnson who has two tons and 13 fifties in List ‘A’ cricket.
While batting in the second game, the left-hander suffered a strained hamstring muscle when on 90 but after on-field treatment, continued batting and reached his second 50-over century.
“We knew that there was not going to be much running going on so I said I might as well get the hundred here and thankfully they presented a couple of bad balls which I hit to the boundary and I was able to get it” explained the GCC batsman, who played the first of his 77 List ‘A’ matches Trinidad at Providence, on October 20, 2007.
Johnson explained what he did to register his second 50-over ton following his maiden hundred in Antigua in 2018. “I didn’t do too many things different from normal, I just give myself the chance to get into less risks earlier on….I hit a six early on but the ball was there to be hit.
We had to score just about five runs per over when I got to the crease and it went up to six which was very manageable once you got the wickets in hand. I just tried to form partnerships with whoever I was batting with at the time and things went my way and I capitalised on that” Johnson explained.
Johnson missed Sunday’s game against Jamaica and provided an update on the status of the injury. “Yeah it’s fine. It has come a long way. It was a grade 1 strain which usually takes four to six days with therapy and today (Wednesday) is day five. I did some sprints today (Wednesday) with the Manager and Assistant Coach and it went well” added Johnson.
When asked if Assad Fudadin and Tevin Imlach are returning home and would be replaced by Veerasammy Permaul and Bajan born Raymond Reifer, the Jaguars captain said that it has not been finalised as yet but confirmed that Permaul and Reifer were in Antigua and available to represent the Jaguars for the remainder of the tournament.
“The selectors and team Management has to meet on that issue. But to be honest that a good issue to have with two international players coming into a team that has been doing well. It’s not been finalised as yet but it will be in the coming days” disclosed Johnson.
The Jaguars face the Red Force tomorrow in what many feel is prelude of the final. “I won’t say its prelude to the final, we are taking one game at a time but we play the Red Force next and we have an analyst for the first time. He is not here but he sends video footage of the teams and it’s been very useful …the amount of information you have when you go on the field.
Numbers don’t lie and we use that information and as you can see we are doing well. The Red Force were convincing against the Leewards tonight (Wednesday) but there were some kinks in their armor in their game against Barbados while in their chase of 227 against the Windwards they lost a few quick wickets.
All players have strengths and weakness but it does not matter how good you are, sustained pressure will bring success,” continued Johnson who also explained how he uses his fast bowler Nail Smith during this tournament.
“We have been using the pace and spin formula to open the bowling and it has worked. I try to use Nail close to the power-play or with his extra pace, when a new batsman comes in. He did not have the best of times in 2019 but he has a good yorker in addition to pace and he has learned quickly” explained the Jaguars’ Skipper.

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