After being selected to represent Guyana yesterday in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament, West Indies T20 all rounder Christopher Barnwell said it will be an honour to perform in front his home crowd after a long absence on such a big stage.
During an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday, the talented Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player said:”It’s a good feeling being
selected to play for my country; I have not played in front of my home crowd in about two years and I’m eager to go out there and perform.”
Barnwell, who enjoyed a fairytale run in this year’s Caribbean T20 tournament where he single handedly took Guyana to the finals, was subsequently selected to represent the Royal Bangalore in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL).
He did not play in the IPL but will now look to make an impact in this upcoming tournament.
When asked about his goals heading into the CPL, the 26-year-old all-rounder said:”I played well in the Caribbean T20 tournament and I aim to continue my good run when the CPL begins.”
The right-hander also spoke of his IPL.
“Travelling to India was a great experience. I learnt a lot from the players over there about playing on different pitches and conditions. It also helped me to assess the game with regards to playing proper shots and adapting to the fast paced nature of T20 cricket,” Barnwell added.
Sharing his thoughts on his new teammates, Barnwell highlighted the fact that the team has a lot of good players both regional and foreign, including the New Zealand pair of Martin Guptill and James Franklin, along with the Pakistan T20 Skipper Mohammed Hafeez.
“They are great international stars and it’s an honour playing among them,” he declared.
When asked about any specific players he idolized and wanted to play alongside in the CPL, he singled out West Indies opener Chris Gayle.
According to Barnwell he “looks up to Gayle (Chris) and Bravo (Dwayne),” and said that he always wanted to play with them.
“My country has very good players; the likes of (Ramnaresh) Sarwan, Narsingh (Deonarine), (Veerasammy) Permaul, (William) Perkins and Sunil Narine. They are very good and bring experience and talent to the table,” he declared.
The team also includes a number of Guyanese players such as Permaul, Deonarine, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton, opener Trevon Griffith, all rounder Steven Jacobs and Sarwan.
With 602 runs from 36 T20 games and a top score of 88, along with 18 wickets, Barnwell will look to repeat his good all-round show from this year’s Caribbean T20 tournament when the CPL bowls off on the 30th of July.
Guyana will take on Trinidad and Tobago in their first match on July 31.
The Guyana squad reads: Sunil Narine, Mohammed Hafeez, Martin Guptill, James Franklin, and Trevon Griffith. Christopher Barnwell, Steven Jacobs, Veerasammy Permaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, William Perkins, Krishmar Santokie, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, Ronsford Beaton and Narsingh Deonarine.
