National fast-bowling all-rounder, Clinton Pestano is unsure of his next move as it relates to his cricket future after being excluded from the Guyana Harpy Eagles set up for the upcoming Regional first-class season.
The 30-year-old, in an exclusive interview Friday with Stabroek Sport said that he is left to believe he’s not being given a fair chance after a selector told him he would not be around the national set up once he is there.
He did not want to name the selector. “I think is a certain selector who mentioned certain things to me that I would never be a part of the Guyana team once he is there and it is real bad,” he said.
“I feel at age 30, I give myself three or four more years in this cricket and I don’t know where I am headed to right now,” he added.
The selection panel comprises Ravindranauth Seeram (Chairman), Peter Persaud, Albert Clements, who also functions as the team manager and Elroy Stephney.
The Berbice all-rounder said that he was hurt by the comments.
“It really hurt me knowing I have a family to maintain, not doing anything else other than cricket, that took a big toll on me and it really hurt me.”
He said that his cricket future was unclear at the moment. “It isn’t easy because I don’t know where I am heading after today with cricket in Guyana or where I am going to play cricket or if I have to go look for a job, I don’t know because from that word, I can clearly see I am not part of the team or the standby, it’s not a good look for me.”
Pestano said that it was through a friend that he heard of the practice matches and contacted the coach, Ryan Hercules who informed him of a fitness test.
While not being a contracted player, Pestano was proud to say that he has been around training with the national contracted players at his own expense but reasoned there was not much to be done with the weather other than gym sessions. “Coming up I see the selection of the Regional Four-Day team and it was a shock to me because I feel I should have been part of the set up as an experienced player. As a former player not even in the standby and it really hurts me,” he said.
Pestano said that in the past things were done differently. He made reference to one stage of his career when Ramnaresh Sarwan was leading the selection panel and Esuan Crandon was the head coach.
He said back then he was injured for nine months and was given a fitness test afterwards and ran 19 in the yo-yo test. After putting in a few good performances he was able to earn a spot in the side.
Now, having run 33 in the yo-yo test, he is unable to even be a standby.
“I know the board is a new board and they are trying to build something so I don’t know how they plan to do it but it is not professional to me,” he said.
“We know how things happen and seeing this right now could be the last seeing me any part of cricket in Guyana. I am not afraid of this and I know younger players are coming up and I think everybody should have a fair chance.
I don’t think I have had a fair chance so I am speaking out on my behalf and I know other players feeling it but it is like if you say it, down you going all the time.”
Pestano has played 11 first-class matches for Guyana scoring 343 runs with a best of 69. He has taken 26 wickets with a best of 4-31. He has also played 19 List A matches, taking 23 wickets and scoring 66 runs from 11 innings. His last match was against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in November, 2022.
