Director of Sport Neil Kumar said yesterday that the Guyana Twenty20 team which departs this morning for the Airtel Champions League tournament in South Africa will get a “really nice send off.”
The Guyana team won the right to represent the Caribbean in the lucrative club championships after winning the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) inaugural tournament with a thrilling one wicket victory over Barbados in the final in Trinidad and Tobago last month. The members of the team were due to reassemble at the Princess Hotel yesterday evening prior to their departure this morning from the hotel.
Kumar yesterday told this newspaper that his ministry had planned a big motorcade with Police escort all the way to the Dr. Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
“We plan to leave around 8.30am and hope to arrive one hour later, “ Kumar disclosed.
He added that himself, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony and Permanent Secretary Alfred King, will accompany the team to the airport to give the team an official send off.
He was unable to say whether President Bharrat Jagdeo would put in an appearance telling Stabroek Sport that he would have to confirm whether Jagdeo, whose government gave the team some US$100,000 on Saturday, would show up at any stage.
“We’re putting lots of effort into the whole thing,” said Kumar.
Manager of the Guyana team Carl Moore, asked his expectations of the team, told Stabroek Sport:” Well, they had a long encampment four weeks of strenuous work which entailed physicals, game simulation, games too including the two matches against Trinidad and after resting last weekend they are ready and raring to go.”
Moore said it was his hope that the team does Guyana proud. “Well with the intensive practice and training that they went through, more than for the regional Twenty20 tournament it is expected that they will perform well on the world stage and make us all proud here in Guyana.”
The Guyana team will leave aboard a LIAT flight at 11.10am for Barbados.
They will leave Barbados sometime this afternoon for England where they will arrive sometime after 5am tomorrow.
Moore said the Guyana team will depart England at 9.15pm Tuesday for South Africa.
Coach of the team Ravindranauth Seeram, the former Guyana middle order batsman yesterday praised the training the team went through.
“I think that we had a wonderful training, the first two weeks was rough,” he said.
He praised the efforts of weightligting coach, Seon Erskine and Kezqweyah Yisreal, Co-founder of Genesis Fitness Express, for their contribution and also lauded the efforts of former West Indies coach Roger Harper.
“I thought the preparation went well and the two practice matches also went well.”
Seeram said although the locals lost one of the two games against Trinidad he wanted it to be made clear that it was only a practice game.
“I think the preparation is real good so far,” he said adding that it was his hope that the fitness training the team went through will take help alleviate the different conditions which the team will encounter in South Africa. Asked if there are any practice matches scheduled in South Africa, Seeram said:”We don’t know the schedule as yet. When we get up there we will know what the schedule is like.”
Seeram also took the opportunity to thank those who assisted in any way with his team’s training.
“We’d like to thank the guys from the National Stadium, the reserve players and the standby
bowlers. I think they have done a wonderful job. I’d like to thank Roger for sharing his experience.
“I think the guys are raring to go, he said.
The Guyana team is Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain, Travis Dowlin, Narsingh Deonarine, Lennox Cush, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Derwin Christian, Christopher Barnwell, Jonathan Foo, Assad Fudadin, Steven Jacobs, Richard Ramdeen, Esaun Crandon, Royston Crandon, Devendra Bishoo and Paul Wintz.
The officials accompanying the team are Guyana Cricket Board president, Chetram Singh, GCB secretary, Anand Sanasie, Chairman of the Senior selection panel, Claude Raphael, physiotherapist, Beverley Nelson, analyst, Robin Singh, manager, Carl Moore, coach, Ravindranauth Seeram and trainer, Orin Bailey.
Guyana will begin their quest for championships honours on Sunday against Royal Challengers Bangalore led by Anil Kumble.
Their remaining group matches will be played against Mumbai Indians, South Africa’s Lions and South Australia.
