‘GAJ could have to practice indoors at LBI’ says Crandon Two more fittness test to be conducted before tourney start

Dec 13, 2021 Sports

By Sean Devers
Since being appointed National Coach in 2012, former Berbice and Guyana pacer Esuan Crandon has won five consecutive Regional First-Class titles in the six-year history of CWI’s Professional Cricket League.
The Guyanese franchise was dethroned by Barbados after the tournament was aborted with two rounds remaining due to the outbreak of the pandemic in March, 2020 and apart from the Super50, which was played in a bubble earlier this year in Antigua; no other senior regional competition was played in close to two years.
Since there have been three significant changes involving the local Franchise; the Guyana Jaguars’ name has been changed to Guyana Amazon Jaguars, the team has a new assistant Coach in Essequibian Ryan Hercules and former Guyana and West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is the new chairman of the National Selectors, has advised that the minimum standard on the Yo-yo test be raised to 45.

Coach Crandon and his new assistant Coach Ryan Hercules at the fitness test.

This is after several Guyanese players were overlooked for West Indies selection for failing to meet the required 40 on the Yo-Yo test or not doing the test at all. Sarwan feels that with Guyana increasing the pass rate to 45, the Guyanese should be better equipped to pass the CWI fittness test.
“Those players who failed to reach the standard would be set targets to achieve over the next three weeks. We understand it’s going to be difficult for some of them to reach level 45 in the yoyo test over that period, however, steady improvement during that period is expected,” said Crandon who turns 40 on Friday.
“Tevin Imlach has been very disciplined when it comes to his cricket, one of the hardest workers with the right attitude towards the game. Yes, he ran 60,” informed the Berbician, who took 90 wickets from 38 First-Class matches with a best of 7-125 against T&T.
The 25-year-old Imlach has played two First-Class and seven List ‘A’ games and along which 21-year-old Berbician Kevlon Anderson who has played 11 Youth ODIs for the West Indies and 18-year-old Matthew Nandu, who has two fifties in five Youth ODIs and is also in the West Indies U-19 World Cup team, have been identified by Sarwan as possible young batting replacements for the Amazon Jaguars.
Anderson (54), Kevin Sinclair (53), West Demerara off-spinner Richie Looknauth (46), Port Mourant pacer Demetri Cameron (45), Junior Sinclair (45) and Essequibo left arm spinner Anthony Adams (45) passed the yo-yo test, while 34-year-old Leon Johnson,Guyana’s most successful First-Class Captain (43) passed the CWI fitness requirement.
It is understood that a recent West Indies U-19 player could only manage 19 on the yo-yo while a senior player from Berbice could only reach 29.
“The players overseas are expected to return home for a scheduled fitness assessment on December 20 and 21. We have two more fitness test before the tournament,” informed Crandon, who was appointed West Indies Assistant Coach in January 2019 for the home series against England.
Crandon, who recently returned home from his Coaching in the USA, is disappointed with the fitness level of some senior players.
“I do not want to take more of my time to get players fit to play. That should not be the way, they should be fit coming into this period which is now for them to improve their cricketing skills so they can be well prepared for the tournament coming up.”

Tevin Imlach & Kevlon Anderson during the fitness test at Leonora stadium. (Newsroom photo)

“The period to prepare this squad prior to competition isn’t ideal, however, we will utilize the time wisely to maximize preparation,” added Crandon, who also Coached the West Indies women’s team.
“The weather isn’t helping any bit at the moment but we’re targeting the indoors to get some work done,” explained Crandon who said his biggest challenge is getting this team well prepared is the adverse weather.
“As you are aware of the U19 World Cup is in Guyana next year…that would take a bit away from our preparation because the best venues in the country will be occupied until January 15,” continued Crandon, who made his first-class debut as a 19-year-old in the 2000-01 season.
“Practice, matches have been proposed during the month of January, waiting for the confirmation of venues and dates for the matches. The intention is to have the best players in the country compete against each other,” Crandon posited.
But due to the bad weather expected for the Christmas period we might have to revert to the LBI indoors nets and do gym work,” informed Crandon, who captured 29 wickets from 28 List ‘A’ games.
Most of the contracted players missed the first fittness test since they are overseas on West Indies duty or playing in the USA.
Shimron Hetmyer, who opted out the Pakistan series which commenced yesterday for personal reasons, is in Guyana but did not attend the fitness test.
Coach Crandon, who also with Hercules, conducted the fitness test at the National Track & Field Stadium in Leonora, West Coast, confirmed that Hetmyer, ‘as far as he knows’, is available for the Guyana Amazon Jaguars, but did not want to comment on why the extremely naturally talented but inconsistent left-hander who turns 25 on Boxing day, was absent from the first fitness test.
The Guyana Amazon Jaguars contracted players are: Kevlon Anderson, Christopher Barnwell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Leon Johnson, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Romario Shepherd, Vishaul Singh, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Anthony Bramble and Keon Joseph.