(KAITEURNEWS)GCB’s 3-Day League review (part 2)
A great concept marred by sub-standard cricket
& disrespect for the game
By Sean Devers
Despite three double centuries including two in one innings at Port Mourant by Seon Hetymer and Kandasammy Surujnarine and two centuries in the same match by Bhaskar Yadram in Essequibo where Hemraj made 250, in addition 13 other batsmen making tons, the general standard of the inaugural GCB Jaguars three-day Franchise League was not too high with the catching especially poor for nearly all of the teams.
All of the leading wicket takers were spinners (except Romario Shepherd and his West Demerara new ball partner Raymon Reifer) which exposed the inadequacies of the local batsmen to use their feet and play quality spin.
But it must not be forgotten that Shepherd (34) and Reifer (28) took 62 wickets between them and were at their best when they bowled short on tracks with some assistance to fast bowling.
This proved that even though they are vulnerable to spin, but that they lack not only technique but intestinal fortitude and common sense when facing rising deliveries even on slow pitches.
Even those with the ability hook and pull exhibited poor shot selection and reached 40 or 50 in pugnacious fashion before throwing their wickets away with injudicious shots as most of the batsmen played in t20 mode.
The high scores were made due to a combination of decent batting, inconsistent bowling, faulty catching and questionable field placing.
Spinners enjoyed themselves on tracks which helped them but bowled too flat and defensive minded. Few of the spinners in the league showed to ability to turn the ball ‘square’ on good pitches and rarely flighted the ball.
This is a major concern and a reason why our players don’t dominate on good tracks and against top class opposition when selected to the higher level.
We need to prepare better pitches since poor pitches gave bowlers a false sense of accomplishment and causes batsmen to lose confidence.
Few batsmen show the temperament to bat ‘long’ on slow pitches which prohibits ‘playing through the line’ and forces to batsmen to play the ball under their eyes and play as late as possible like Shiv Chanderpaul does on such pitches.
Bowlers who are allowed to operate with suspect actions and the standard of coaching is questioned when some players at this level lack of both technical and tactical savvy, especially in pressure situations. The GCB should add Clyde Butts and Roger Harper to the coaching staff.
This is the highest level of cricket in Guyana and I believe that there are too many teams which dilute the quality. Six would have been good enough and increase as the structure improves and better players (from overseas) added to various Franchises.
The GCB, the players and officials need to do much better if this is to be a true ‘Professional League’ and encourage sponsors to come on board.
The teams going for matches in Berbice were not accommodated there but had to travel to from Demerara to Berbice everyday to cut cost.
The regulations state that the ‘Square’ and bowlers’ run up must be covered in the event of rain yet the GCB sends only two pieces which are inadequate.
A recent feature in local cricket is to only have one book scorer at matches when Law 4 clearly states ‘TWO scores shall be appointed to record all runs scored, wickets taken and where appropriate, number of overs bowled’. Umpires can choose not start a game if they are not a least two book scorers present.
Even though the regulations on Clothing Rules and Regulations state the majority of the upper tongue and laces of shoes and boots shall be white. Stripes, and other design features shall be a maximum of two colors. Yet players were allowed to bat and field with shoes which at times had less than 5% white.
Substitutes must wear colored bibs but this, in most cases, is also not done and Eddie Nicholls, the former Test Umpire who is now a Match Referees, said that unless the Umpires write a report against a delinquent player there is nothing he can do which means the Umpires are not doing their job.
“I have report forms but they are clean since Umpires don’t write anything on them†said the 68-year-old Nicholls, who has stood in 17 Tests and 46 ODIs.
In the first Women’s ODI in Jamaica on Saturday Guyanese pacer Erva Giddings was fined for dissent. That’s how good Umpires operate.
One of the Umpires said when they report bowlers for their actions or anything else nothing is done a Board level so it’s a waste of time to write reports.
A GCB executive said that next year, once the Umpires report a player for wearing colored shoes or any form of dissent, that player will be fined.
Players arguing on the field with each other and Umpires were common occurrences in the League which was supposed to have professional players participating.
Bajan pacer Reifer bowled spin in the final round to make a mockery of the match. Had a Guyanese shown such disrespect for the game in Barbados he would have been penalized.
A former National Youth player, who was the ‘ring leader’ in putting a towel over the head of his team mate for the others to beat him, received a ban for his actions.
When players like the Harper brothers, Andy Jackman, Rabindranauth Seeram, Clyde Butts, Clayton Lambert, Faoud Bacchus and Timour Mohamed played first division cricket they were in their late 20s and 30s and were mature and responsible individuals, assets which were reflected in their cricket.
You had to be an outstanding U-19 player to gain selection at Inter-County level but now the entire Guyana U-19 team is involved at this level because the standard is so low and most the ‘older’ players no longer play here.
It imperative that due to the age of the players, the GCB mandates that Clinics dealing with etiquette, leadership skills, the ills of alcohol, dress code, media interviews and some level of academics be held by the Franchises during next year’s League.
Talent alone is not enough for an International cricketer to be successful and as Clive Lloyd likes to say “Your attitude decides your altitude†GCB’s 3-Day League review (part 2)
A great concept marred by sub-standard cricket
& disrespect for the game
