Guyana Amazon Warriors determined to take title of Limacol CPL champions

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Having reached the finals held at the Queen’s Park Oval in the inaugural Limacol CPL last year, the Guyana Amazon Warriors are heading into the 2014 tournament with renewed vigour and determination to walk away with the title.

Head Coach, Roger Harper, spoke exclusively to cplt20.com about this year’s squad, key players and the party that is CPL.
Looking ahead to this season, Harper is thrilled to be back for another CPL experience; “I am truly delighted to be back again. Last season I would say was a success for us, we topped the group stages and then finished second, so now we see the areas we need to work on in order to improve.”
Harper (who coached the West Indies during the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa), also said he is more than happy with his 15-man squad for the 2014 tournament.
“We have seven Guyanese players in our team, in addition to a few new players like, New Zealander, Corey Anderson, who is making his name on the international cricket stage, and Navin Stewart from Trinidad and Tobago who is a solid all-rounder.”
While he is disappointed not to have one of the Warriors’ most influential players from last season, James Franklin, he feels his team is one to be reckoned with.
“James Franklin delivered the x-factor last season and I am very disappointed not to have him back. I do however believe that we have a squad capable of giving any team a hard time.”
When the 6’4″ Harper spoke about the CPL as a whole, he was positive; “The Limacol CPL is a massive hit in the Caribbean, it truly has elements for everyone to enjoy. The fans, the players, the media, the entertainment – it is just a great atmosphere for public enjoyment.”
In each CPL squad, a team can have up to four overseas players – something Harper believes is positive. “I think four is a good number as it allows local and regional players to shine on the big stage and because it provides a good, solid structure, competition for places will be stiff.”
One player that Harper and the Warriors’ fans will be looking to see is Jamaican, Krishmar Santokie, a player who Harper thinks has only got better in the past 11 months. “Krishmar Santokie is a hugely valuable asset to my team.
He is an intelligent and determined player and I am very happy to have retained him. He deserves all the success he is reaping and it’s great that he is now in the Windies T20 Team.”
Finally, Harper had a message for the fans of Guyana to; “please come out and support your Warriors. We are on a mission and we need you to help us! We promise to do our best and make you all proud”.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will open the Limacol CPL 2014 when they take on the Antigua Hawksbills on July 11th in the National Cricket Stadium, Grenada.