By Lakhram Bhagirat
The youngest member of the Guyana Amazon Warriors in this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is all pumped and ready to make his mark, cementing his place as a force to be reckoned with in the cricketing world. At just 19 years old, Sherfane Rutherford is living the best life possible. He is in top form and ready to wreck wickets and hit the ball out of the stadium.
The natural hype of his youth coupled with the adrenaline of being a part of the most consistent squad in the CPL Tournament are bound to make Sherfane push beyond his boundaries. His aim is to leave behind a legacy that tells of the kind of life he lived. The country boy was raised in the village of Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara and while growing up, cricket was a major part of his life. He explains that during his school years all he thought about were receiving a proper education and following his dream of becoming a star cricket player. He started playing cricket from about the age of nine and his coaches immediately recognised his potential with both the bat and ball.
When he started high school at Annandale Secondary, his love for the game further developed and became a part of his daily routine. He said that not a day would go by without him enjoying a game of cricket.
“The love for cricket was always there throughout my life. My career started from school cricket and just went on. I was always a confident player and to this day I am, but I find that balance between confidence and overconfidence, because overconfidence never ends well for anyone.”
Like most persons who make cricket into a career, Sherfane’s childhood memories of either playing the game or watching the game are too many to recount. However, although Sherfane was in love with the game, he did not watch many matches, rather he preferred to be watched.
Sherfane says that he was always determined to be the best version of himself and that, along with the drive to represent Guyana on the big stage, pushed him to work harder.
“I was determined to play for my country at the highest level and I crave for that success. Now, I am selected for the Guyana Amazon Warriors team and I am overjoyed. I can’t wait to step out on the field and show them what I am made of. The squad that we have this year is A-1 and I feel that we can bring the trophy home this year. We have the talent and the drive to do that.”
“It is a dream come true to be able to play for the Warriors and as an all-rounder, I am looking to contribute with the bat and the ball, as well as on the field. My cricketing style is simple: I take the basics and work with that to build myself up,” he enthusiastically adds.
The talented player calls the Demerara Cricket Club home and has been consistently performing for them, so when he was selected for the Warriors squad, his coaches were not surprised at all. Sherfane bowls economically as well as performs with the bat, and that was proven when he made his First-Class debut in 2017 and subsequent List A debut in 2018.
In June, Sherfane was named part of the West Indies B team for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada Tournament where he went on to become the leading run scorer, having made 230 runs in eight matches. On the Warriors team, he has the least experience, but, according to him, that is not a deciding factor, since he believes that he can match up with his teammates. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
“I was determined to play for my country at the highest level and I crave for that success. Now, I am selected for the Guyana Amazon Warriors team and I am overjoyed. I can’t wait to step out on the field and show them what I am made of. The squad that we have this year is A-1 and I feel that we can bring the trophy home this year. We have the talent and the drive to do that.”
