Chanderpaul to miss opening rounds

Jan 08, 2023 Sports

2023 West Indies Championship…

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Harpy Eagles have under a month of preparation left before the commencement of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) 2023 West Indies Championship, which will have its first round being contested in Grenada and Antigua from February 1 – 4.

Under the guidance of Head Coach, Ryan Hercules, the team wishes to regain the title they commanded for five consecutive years; 2014-15 to 2018-19. The title changed hands in the 2019-20 Season when it was handed to Barbados Pride, who were in the lead when the COVID-19 pandemic halted play.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul (Photo: AAP)

Barbados then successfully defended the title last season (2021-2022) while Leeward Islands finished second and Guyana was third.

Ahead of the new 2023 season, Guyana’s unit recently underwent a fitness session that yielded impressive results by the majority of players, but the coaching staff is still working to improve and develop the players in different aspects.

The second round of the Championship commences on February 8 and runs until February 11.

Despite preparations going along swimmingly aside from inclement weather, the coach is faced with a situation that every Regional side experiences; Players’ International Engagements.

Chanderpaul to miss opening rounds…

The heavy hitting Test players from the Regional teams will be on their overseas assignments; the Tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa, for the period that spans from February 4 to March 12, 2023.

Guyana will be without their opening batsman, Tagenarine Chanderpaul – West Indies’ latest Test debutant and the only Guyanese in the squad.

Chanderpaul was Harpy Eagles’ highest run getter last season and the only Harpy Eagle to finish in the top ten. His tally of 439 runs from eight innings landed him an average of 73.16 with a high score of 184 to accentuate his performance. His tally was overshadowed only by the WI Test Captain, Kraigg Brathwaite (584), Chanderpaul’s new opening partner.

Veerasammy Permaul (Photo: Wired868)

The left hander may be available for the third round of the West Indies Championship, which is scheduled to bowl off from March 15, since the final Test (versus South Africa) is set to conclude on March 12. CWI are yet to name the Test squad for the upcoming series.

Prior to West Indies’ first test of the year, they will have a four-day warm-up match against a local side set for January 28-31 at Bulawayo Athletic Club.

Chanderpaul stood firm in his highly anticipated debut against Australia in November 2022 and accumulated 160 runs in his first four international innings, which included a half century in the debutant’s first inning.

The opener is still training with Regional Side, which no doubt, have tried to find a suitable replacement for the scenario. Harpy Eagles have two scheduled practice matches to play before they commence the Regional Tournament, but inclement weather is the only obstacle that could affect that.

However, Chanderpaul and Veerasammy Permaul were chosen as the captains for the two sides in those matches. The first match is on January 12, while the second is set for January 17, both from 9:30 hrs each day.

The players not available for this match include Leon Johnson, Clinton Pestano, Keon Joseph, Quentin Sampson, Steven Sankar, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul XI: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kemol Savory, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Mavindra Dindyal, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Alvin Mohabir, Gudakesh Motie, Antony Adams, Shamar Joseph, Sylus Tyndall, Demetri Cameron, Jonathan Rampersaud and Zynul Ramsammy.

Veerasammy Permaul XI: Veerasammy Permaul, Mathew Nandu, Tevin Imlach, Kevlon Anderson, Akshaya Persaud, Rampertab Ramnauth, Shamar Yearwood, Junior Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Ronsford Beaton, Isai Thorne, Nial Smith, Richie Looknauth and Garfield Benjamin.