By Lakhram Bhagirat
One year ago, Akshaya Persaud was sitting in the sun-beaten red stands of the Providence National Stadium cheering on the Guyana Amazon Warriors as they fought a diligent battle against the Trinbago Knight Riders. Today, he cannot believe that he is a part of the Warriors squad heading into the 2018 Caribbean Premier League(CPL) games.
It is truly a surreal experience for Akshaya, but one that he plans to capitalise on and make his mark in the cricketing world. For the super-hyped 21-year-old, cricket runs through his blood and is part of his DNA since he grew up seeing his father playing.
Akshaya is the eldest of four and is a country boy at heart, having grown up in the quiet village of Cornelia Ida on the West Coast of Demerara. Family, for him, is the foundation of everything and their support has never been lacking resulting in him accomplishing great things.
He received his formal education within his village at the Cornelia Ida Primary School and then the Saraswati Vidya Niketan where he wrote and passed 14 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level.
Cricket has always been a part of Akshaya’s life as he fondly remembers using his mother’s “beeta” (a wooden bat-shaped object used to wash clothes) to play since he was too young to handle a bat. Most of his afternoons and weekends throughout primary school involved him with his “beeta” batting for hours as the other boys within the neighbourhood bowled. As time progressed, he graduated from the “beeta” to an actual bat, which made the competition much tougher, since his father would be on the sidelines to help with his strokes and form.
Despite cricket being an integral part of Akshaya’s life, his parents never allowed him to lose sight of the benefits of a complete education. When he was around 14 years old, Akshaya had to quit cricket to pay much more attention to his traditional education. This went on for approximately three years, but according to him, the sacrifice was well worth it, since he would secure 14 CSEC passes.
Akshaya is a staunch Hindu and says the teachings of his dharma are what keep him grounded and focused.
“My love for cricket started when I was starting to walk as a baby boy. My dad used to play cricket and everywhere he went to play, I would go with him. Sometimes while they were playing on the field, my friends and I would have our own game happening at the side of the pavilion. My father would usually bowl me whenever he was home from work. I would proudly say that he’s my first coach.”
One of the things Akshaya loves about his childhood is the fact that he grew up in a community that was tightly ,knitted and shared a common love for a good game of cricket. They did not care whether the game was on the streets with makeshift wickets or on the pitch or on the field; as long as there was a game they were present. This just fuelled his love for the game and when he turned eight, he joined the Cornelia Ida Cricket Club and has never looked back.
“I was the youngest player on the team. Many times, my father would sit out for me to get an opportunity to play. After making my debut for my home club, there was no turning back there. I represented the club at all levels,” he said.
Over the years, Akshaya would have the opportunity to represent his club at the Under-13, 15, 17, 19 and senior levels. As he rose through the ranks, he would also captain the team at various intervals. His success is credited to his hard work and determination, but he says that is only one part as the other part involves a man named Rabindranauth Seeram.
Seeram has been coaching the young all-rounder for a number of years. Akshaya’s superb talent with the bat and ball would lead him to be selected to represent Guyana in the Under-15, 17 and 19 tournaments. He would later be awarded an academy contract to train with the Guyana Jaguars and in 2016, during the inaugural Jaguars Franchise League, he scored over 400 runs and topped the top 10 batsmen list. This success further catapulted him and he scored 520 runs the following year and was again the leading scorer for the tournament.
After two successful years of domestic cricket, he made his regional First-Class debut for the Guyana Jaguars earlier this year against the Jamaican Scorpions at Sabina Park, Jamaica. So far, he has played two First-Class matches and those are memories he would relish.
He related that when he heard of his selection to the Guyana Amazon Warriors, his immediate reaction was to call his parents and share the news.
“I’ve been looking at the Caribbean Premier League from year one and I really enjoy it and now being part of a team that comprises of players that I look up to is really good. I grew up looking at most of the players play international cricket and being part of a dressing room with them is a boost for my career.”
Akshaya is a versatile player who can bowl economically and play at the top of the innings as well as in the middle order. His style is very simple: he sticks to the basics and so far, that has worked for him.
The left-hand batsman plans to contribute in whatever way necessary to make the Warriors take home the trophy this year.
His advice for aspiring young cricketers is that they focus on getting a balance between education and cricket. He advises that they take things in stride, as patience is the foundation of success. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
