Chairman of Selectors, Rayon Griffith, is hoping that the Guyana Jaguars will win the Professional Cricket League for the sixth successive year and said the side selected was one with “potential, experience and balance.”
Stabroek Sport caught up with Griffith following the announcement of the squad for the first match against Leeward Islands Volcanoes in Antigua from Thursday to Sunday.
Asked about the criteria to select the side, Griffith stated, “We normally go on performance which is a big criteria,” he said adding…”We normally look at potential and developing players to move on for the future.”
Griffith, a former national player, said fitness is also a major component.
“We look presently at fitness,” he said. We had one recently because I think that is a big area we have been lacking for many years and we have some of the players who have shown they are really fit and have excellent cricket skills,” he added.
The West Indies Women’s Assistant Coach was optimistic of a sixth title for the senior national cricket team.
“This year for me, we will go for the sixth title and we do have a good chance because most of the players have that experience playing over the years and we have some good young players representing Guyana this season.”
Griffith said the two newcomers in the side, Kevin Sinclair and Nial Smith, have shown promise over the last few years and reckons they are ready for First-Class cricket but will still need guidance.
“Smith has Raymon Reifer who has been playing in the Guyana set-up for many years and Keon Joseph so you have senior players to guide them. I mean, he is much faster than the two but it is not all about speed, you have to have skill and use your brain so with Reifer and Joseph I think he will gain a lot and I think young Sinclair showed his skill in the Guyana set up at the academy training. His work ethic is excellent and I always think he has the skills to manage at the first-class level,” he said.
The former fast bowler accepted that there is a void with the elevation of Romario Shepherd to West Indies and the injury of Clinton Pestano but suggested that the newcomers can fill the space with Smith bringing the pace and Sinclair bringing the off-spin variety and more with the bat.
“It is a different variety having Devendra Bishoo as a leggie, left-arm spin with Veerasammy Permaul and Sinclair with his off-spin which we do need at times and we never really had that off-spinner since Narsingh Deonarine who brought something with the bat,” he said.
Elaborating on his theory on balance, Griffith said that Tevin Imlach, who was in the side before, is a backup wicket-keeper and a batsman who can bat at the top or in the middle of the order.
Jaguars squad: Leon Johnson, Vishaul Singh , Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Christopher Barnwel, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Keon Joseph, Nial Smith, Raymon Reifer.
