New coach of the national cricket team Mark Harper believes that Guyana has talented cricketers but for the last three years they have not fulfilled their expectations.
Harper, who replaced sacked coach Rabindranauth Seeram after Guyana’s exit from this year’s Caribbean Twenty20 tournament in the preliminary round, told Stabroek Sport yesterday that while this is the case the team has to forget about that.
He indicated that the side’s preparation for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Four-Day tournament is limited but said the side still has to focus on what it has to do when the tournament commences on February 4 in Jamaica.
“Being around I think they (the players) have the talent but our performances over the last three years have not been able to live up to the talent that we have. Unfortunately, this year our preparation is very late but we have to put that aside and still focus on what we have to do in the time that we have,” the former national batsman said.
He noted that the team‘s batting has been cause for concern, adding that the side’s batsmen have struggled against the faster bowlers in the region. However, he indicated that there will be a lot of focus on the batting techniques, bowling tactics and generally the mental aspects during the time he will be working with the team before it departs.
“We will be working on technique, we will be working on bowling tactics and we will be working on fielding in terms of sharpening specific areas in terms of where we think guys are suitable for,” the former Bermuda coach stressed.
Apart from that, Harper acknowledges that the services of senior batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Travis Dowlin will be missed. Sarwan and Chanderpaul will miss the side’s campaign in the WICB tournament due to West Indies duties for the World Cup in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka next month.
Dowlin has been dropped due to his poor form with the bat while Narsingh Deonarine, the first batsman to score 1000 runs in a First Class season, has been recalled after missing the T20 tournament.
Harper is optimistic though, that some of the younger players will take the opportunity to shine in the more seasoned campaigners’ absence.
“Obviously Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Travis Dowlin will be missed but it is an opportunity for a young player to come out and make his mark and I will be hoping they will grab that opportunity with both hands.
“We have the talent. It is just, you know, it is just that we have to be a bit more mentally strong with better shot execution, fielding and bowling,” Harper elaborated.
Commenting on the mental toughening of the players Harper said that he has some of the sharpest cricketing minds at his disposal if they are available. He singled out his older brother Roger Harper, former West Indies player and coach, and Neil Barry, former national wicketkeeper.
He also stated that he and his management team will be doing all that it can to toughen-up the relatively new team for the four-day tournament, which Guyana have not won since 2005.
Last year, Guyana finished in the second to last position while the year before they finished in the cellar position.
“Mental preparation is not as easy as it sounds because you obviously have to think about what you have to do and then you have to be able to go out there and execute it, how you perform in different situations,” Harper said.
When Stabroek Sport asked Harper if he has what it takes to change the fortunes of the national team he said that he has the experience and he can do a good job “provided that he has the opportunity to do so.” “I will do my best,” Harper concluded.
