Five Test players in Guyana Jaguars squad for PCL opener

By Avenash Ramzan

Five players with Test experience have been included in a strong Guyana Jaguars squad to face Jamaica Scorpions in the opening round of the 2016/17 West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day tournament, set to start this weekend at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

This is the third year the PCL Four-day is being held, and Guyana Jaguars have won both editions so far under the brilliant leadership of Test batsman Leon Johnson.

The left-handed Johnson is once again at the helm, and he will have a bunch of experienced players to call on, among them middle-order stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul, opener Rajendra Chandrika, and spinners Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul, all with Test experience.

The squad is further strengthened with the inclusion of recent West Indies A team players, in-form middle-order batsman Vishaul Singh, opener Shimron Hetmyer, fast bowler Keon Joseph and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.

The rest of the squad will come from all-rounders Christopher Barnwell and Raymon Reifer, wicketkeeper/batsman Anthony Bramble and opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul.

The Guyana Jaguars squad was selected following the conclusion of the first-ever, eight-team Jaguars Franchise League Four-day competition, which replaced the traditional Inter-county tournament.

The best players from that competition were then part of a warm-up game last week from which the final squad was selected.

Guyana Jaguars are looking for an unprecedented three straight regional four-day title, and given the fact that the franchise is at full-strength, that dream could very well become reality.

Guyana Jaguars squad is: Rajendra Chandrika, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shimron Hetmyer, Leon Johnson (Captain), Vishaul Singh (Vice Captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Keon Joseph and Christopher Barnwell.

Jamaica Scorpions squad is: Nikita Miller (captain), John Campbell, Trevon Griffith, Shacoya Thomas, Devon Thomas, Brandon King, Jermaine Blackwood, Andre McCarthy, Chadwick Walton, Damion Jacobs, Jason Dawes, Marquino Mindley and Derval Green.