Coach of the already crowned champions of the 2017/18 edition of Cricket West Indies Regional four-day first-class championships, Esaun Crandon, has suggested that there will be little tinkering to the squad set to take on the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their final round match, which begins at the Guyana National Stadium tomorrow.
Crandon said he was all for giving the guys in the current squad, who are doing well, the prospect of maximizing their final two opportunities to either achieve their outstanding goals or to press a case for West Indies, or A team selection.
Ah, we already won it [title], and it would have been nice to get a couple of guys in there [the squad], but we’re still going to put a strong team on the field, Crandon told Stabroek Sport in a recent interview. He added: Most of the guys still want to play and we just can’t sit them out for other players.
Crandon’s rationale can be taken in the context of the Guyana Jaguars not producing the cadre of West Indies cricketers to match their recent success while grabbing at every opportunity to do so.
Guys careers are at stake and we want to give them the opportunity to stake a claim for a West Indies A team selection. They might not make it now, but they need to keep their names in the selectors [West Indies] thoughts and if they back that up next season, then you never know, the 36-year-old argued.
Asked specifically who are some of the players in the squad who would want to use the final round match to achieve some of the goals he mentioned, Crandon said: Hemraj [Chanderpaul] hasn’t scored a century for the season, and there are two possible innings for him to get one.
“There is obviously Anthony Bramble, who is there with a lot of runs and young Tage [Tagenarine Chanderpaul] but it’s going to be very interesting to see how the season ends and if they end well and have a good follow up season then you never know.
Indeed, Bramble’s tally of 571 runs from nine matches, is only behind Devon Smith’s 944 and Denesh Ramdin’s 702 this season to go along with his 44 dismissals behind the stumps (the most by a wicketkeeper) would undoubtedly give the West Indies selectors a bit to ponder should he end the season with a few more eye-catching performances.
In that case it would leave the selectors no choice but to exclude the talented duo of Kemol Savory or former West Indies under -19 wicketkeeper, Tevin Imlach who could have easily been given an opportunity.
The same can be said of Chanderpaul Hemraj’s return of 551 runs this season. He has done so without a century and would want to end on a high.
The likes of Keemo Paul on the other hand, who fell away with the bat after opening the season with an impressive debut century; Skipper Leon Johnson; Vishaul Singh, who continues to be consistent and young Chanderpaul, who after earning his maiden first-class century against the Barbados Pride, would also look to use their final match to cop big scores.
Some of the top performers with the ball for the Jaguars include Veerasammy Permaul, who is atop the overall wicket-taking chart with 46 scalps while Paul’s 36, Scherfane Rutherfords 20 and Gudakesh Motie’s 19 will all look to use their final opportunities to end the season with their names etched in the headlines.
