By Marlon Munroe
With the regional governing body rejecting the Guyana government’s proposal for an interim agent to conduct the affairs of cricket in the country while its IMC is in place and the country missing its first deadline for the submission of its squad, the GCB selected a strong team that will be led by West Indies player Veerasammy Permaul. Aggressive allrounder Christopher Barnwell will be Permaul’s deputy.
On paper it appears as if Guyana, inaugural winners of the tournament and representatives of the Caribbean region, is the team to beat. Selectors have gone for experience and allrounders, with the inclusion of world number two Test batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and out-of-favour West Indies middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Also included in the squad are; young but experienced guns Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, Trevon Griffith, Royston Crandon and Jonathan Foo, whose heroics in the inaugural tournament brought Guyana success but equally those were hardly replicated in subsequent tournaments.
In the bowling department there are Permaul, dropped West Indies legspinner and former ICC Emerging Player-of-the-Year Devendra Bishoo, the man with the golden arm Steven Jacobs, who sometimes shares the new ball, Rajiv Ivan, who will be looking to cut his teeth even further at this level and West Indies Under-19 speedster Ronsford Beaton.
