Five years after playing his only first-class match, Antony Adams has been recalled to the Guyana Harpy Eagles side for the upcoming Regional first-class championships and he is looking to bring his A-game.
The Essequibo left-arm spinner has been in the reckoning for some time now and a standout performer on the local scene, particularly after leading Essequibo to their maiden senior titles in the three-day domestic league and 50-over league while also being a main fixture in the Cricket Academy.
Stabroek Sport caught up with the 28-year-old yesterday where he expressed, “It is a great feeling knowing I have the opportunity to once again represent Guyana.”
Adams noted that he was never distracted from his goal of breaking back into the national setup but in fact, used it as motivation to keep pushing. He explained that God and the people around him, kept encouraging him to work harder as he even ventured into coaching where he plays an instrumental role in the up-and-coming talents of the Cinderella County of Essequibo.
The Suddie native all but selected himself for the squad after churning out outstanding performances in the three four-day practice matches held by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) where he ended with 12 wickets.
“I just wanted to be consistent over the three games and put in the performances I know I can produce and it worked for me,” Adams said.
Now it is time for him to transition on a bigger stage.
Adams says that he is not at all nervous but rather patiently waiting for the chance to show his abilities.
“I just want to be the best version of me, I want to keep it simple and trust in all the work I have been doing over the years and the things I’ve developed from an all-round perspective, it means a lot to me and I will give it my all,” he declared.
The left-arm spinner will not be alone as he will be captained by Leon Johnson whom he played under as a member of the Georgetown Cricket Club.
“Leon played a big part in me being a leader, I look up to him, the way he carries himself, his professionalism.
“Guyana didn’t win five consecutive titles by luck or anything and a big part had to do with his leadership.
Vice-captain, Keemo Paul is also someone whom Adams has played with extensively in Essequibo.
“Keemo is like a brother to me and having him around or playing with him makes me feel at home and comfortable and he is very big on winning and he shows his temperament when he goes on the field and he leads from the front,” he explained.
He added, “It’s very comforting for me to be playing with the two leaders and other senior guys in the team like Shimron Hetmyer, Vishual Singh, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Gudakesh Motie and so…”
Guyana Harpy Eagles will head to Trinidad and Tobago where they will play their first two rounds of the five-round competition and look to regain the title.
Their first match will be against Windward Volcanoes at the Queen’s Park Oval from February 9, after which they play Leeward Hurricanes from February 16-19.
