– GCB President
President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Vice-President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Chetram Singh was loud in praise for the West Indies Triangular Tournament in Canada and the ICC Cham-pionship Trophy 2008 in Pakistan, selectee Leon Johnson and Stanford Twenty/ 20 squad member Lennox Cush when he spoke exclusively to Stabroek Sport recently.
According to Singh, Johnson has always been one of those players to look at from the inception, exhibiting talent since he was an under-19 Guyana and West Indian representative. He recalled that he captained the WI to the International Cricket Council (ICC) under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka from February 5-19, 2006 where he took the West Indies team to the Super League Play Off semi-finals but the team lost a close match to beaten finalist Bangladesh.
Singh added that Johnson is one of the few persons to score over 200 runs in one innings at the under-19 level and after gaining selection to the Guyanese team as a sixteen-year-old in 2003 he had to wait for four more years before getting back into the senior team.
“He is not a bad choice for the West Indies team,” Singh said, adding that following his exploits in this year’s Carib Beer and KFC Cups and looking towards the future at twenty-one, he is exactly the impetus that the team needs at this time.
He said further that the WICB “made a bold choice and that Johnson has done justice for himself.” Singh noted also the performance of Johnson in the 2007/2008 season where he scored over 400 runs and averaged over 42 runs per innings.
Cush’s Stanford
Twenty/ 20 Selection
“His performance in the Stanford Twenty/20 2006 and 2008 tournaments and his success in this form of the game ensured his selection.”
Cush who has been a bowling all-rounder for the Guyana team has also represented the USA and has also garnered selection to the World Cricket League Division five.
He also holds one of the few Stanford records that has been established – gaining the only hat-trick in a game when Guyana went down to Jamaica by a single run in the 2008 semi-finals stage after being asked to chase 143 runs only to end up on 142-8.
Singh said that 20/20 has been tailor-made for Cush as in the longer forms of the game, One Day Internationals and Test matches, he is doubtful that he will make it, noting that only four overs are allowed to a bowler and this suits Cush just fine.
And being called to pinch hit at the end is no problem for him as he has the highest first class score of 154.
However, age is not on his side where elevation to the senior West Indies squad is concerned as he will be 34 on December 12.
The Stanford Twenty/20 17-man Stanford Superstars squad to face England in the Stanford 20/20 for US$20million on November 1 at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua was selected on August 14 and a 14-member squad will be selected to play in the one off match.
