The players on the national cricket team will sit out the final round of fixtures this weekend in the ongoing 2011/12 Regional four-day competition, hoping that results play out in their favour that would enable them to qualify for the semi-finals.
With the day-to-day operations of local cricket now in the hands of the Clive Lloyd headed Interim Management Committee (IMC), according to sources au fait with the inner workings of this body, the IMC is currently planning a programme for the Guyana team ahead of a potential semi-final clash.
Previous IMC camps under the supervision of former national coach Mark Harper have been sparsely attended by the players who tended to boycott in droves.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had indicated consistently that it would not recognize any team not sanctioned by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
But since all the GCB executives have resigned leaving the IMC now in charge, at least until its stipulated six-month cut-off period ends on June 23, it will be interesting to see what the players do, presuming a semi-final place is secured.
When asked if the IMC is likely to include Guyana coaching staff of Esuan Crandon, David Harper and David Black in their impending programme, the source said:
“When we meet during this week, we will make a clear decision on this, but speaking unofficially at this stage, there is no reasons why those gentlemen should not be involved.”
The Guyana team complemented their six preliminary round phase on Monday with a drawn fixture against Trinidad that was built on the back of Assad Fudadin’s second century of the tournament.
They currently are in a distant second place on 39 points behind four-time defending champions Jamaica.
As aforementioned, depending on the outcomes of the matches between Jamaica vs Combine Campuses and Colleges (CCC), Leeward Islands vs Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands vs Barbados – will decide what place in the top four they will have or in a worst case scenario – if they fail to advance.
Squad Changes
Stabroek Sport also learnt from affiliates close to the Guyana squad who wished to remain anonymous, that three changes are likely to be made to the Guyana team in the event of the team advancing to the semi-finals.
Replacements for young batsman Chanderpaul Hemraj who had made his first-class debut in the Trinidad game along with fast-bowler Ronsford Beaton will be required. This is because the duo will be called up for a West Indies Under-19 camp from March 28th – April4th in Barbados, in preparation for the Under-19 world-cup in Australia from August 11th – 26th.
Ramnaresh Sarwan is also out given his stint with English County Cricket division two team Leicestershire begins with a pre-season tour to Barbados ahead of the English 2012 First-class season.
Given the confusion that surrounded the team two weeks ago which left Guyana final two matches versus Barbados and Trinidad in doubt, when the court granted an “Anton Pillers” order which proved to be the end of the GCB resistance against the government, eventually leading to the resignation of the entire board.
The WICB via a press release then allowed the Guyana team to continue in the competition with the team the dissolved GCB has previously selected.
Now, with the previously noted WICB nonchalant position against the IMC clear, this selection issue raises a big quandary as to who does the coaching staff of the Guyana team consult with to pick replacements given there is no GCB.
This paper contacted a WICB official articulating these queries and the official who also asked for his identity not to be disclosed stated the following.
“At the moment the WICB can’t give a clear answer on this since it is very clear that those are the facts. This is very unusual situation that WICB has never encountered before, never has a territory never had an active board”, the source explained.
The source concluded by saying:”However I can say there is a WICB board meeting on Saturday in St. Lucia where usual WICB business will be discussed. The new developments in Guyana will certainly be on the agenda and a decision will be made after that.”
