With the final round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) fifty overs franchise league set to conclude today, chairman of the national selection panel, Rayon Griffith has hinted that the combinations have already been decided on.
“The team did well last year, and the Guyana team is not that hard to select, most of the guys will return to the setup,” he recently told Stabroek News.
He further hinted at a few possible combinations with the clear focus on selecting quality spinners and fast bowling all-rounders to exploit the low surfaces in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Our leg is going to be in Trinidad, and defiantly they are going to have slow wickets. We will need a right balance of spinners and fast bowling all-rounders, and we have good all-rounders, to be a part of the set-up” he added.
The batting, however, as he remarked, is his only concern.
A usually reliable source, however, has revealed the composition of the team which includes opener Trevon Griffith – one of the centurions in this year’s league – as the lone new face in the squad.
While the team’s chances of winning their first title in 13- years have diminished due to the absence of Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Devendra Bishoo who are all currently on duties for West Indies in India, a few young players will assume their positions of responsibility to aid Guyana’s title run.
According to the source, top order stability and impetus are expected to come from the retuning Griffith, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the emerging Chandrapaul Hemraj (who may soon earn a West Indies call up) and skipper Leon Johnson.
The middle and lower order as Griffith allude to will be filled with all-rounders Raymond Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Christopher Barnwell, Ricardo Adams and Romario Shepherd while West Indies B skipper Anthony Bramble is expected to take the gloves.
The spin bowling department, on the other hand, will be stacked with Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie and off-spinner Ramaal Lewis while Clinton Pestano will complete the 13.
A few local players who missed out on selection including Anthony Adams, Ronsford Beaton and Tevin Imlach are also in the conversation to represent a West Indies B team which will participate in this year’s tournament.
Possible squad: Trevon Griffith, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Raymond Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Christopher Barnwell, Ricardo Adams, Romario Shepherd, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Ramaal Lewis, Clinton Pestano
