West Indies Cricket Fans

Guyana, West Indies T20 champions replaced Trinidad and Tobago (T &T) at the Champions League. Led by Ramnarace Sarwan they beat T & T in the Caribbean T20 final against all expectations.

Beating T & T side led by the astute and universally acclaimed captain –Darren Ganga was an improbable achievement by a young and inexperienced team. All Guyanese are now willing the team on to emulate T &T in the Champions League. Fish vendors, paddy workers and past cricket stars in this impoverished Caribbean/South American country are yearning for some success and pride after recovering from almost three decades of sectarian dictatorship and corruption.

As a founding member of W I cricket, Guyana sent players to the first WI Test team, had the first W.Indian fifty and century; produced the first great Indo-Caribbean batting stars-Kanhai, Butcher, Soloman, Kallicharan; the best pure offspinner- Lance Gibbs; and the respected W I captain –Clive Lloyd.

Since then, and apart from the rise of Chanderpaul and Sarwan, Guyana has been a cricketing backwater with no heroes or trophies. Despite a lack of resources and squandering of the WI Board handouts, Guyana has a stream of youngsters who are full of energy and talent despite a lack of coaches and only two top class practice facilities in the country.

As a continental land nestling on the northern breast of Brazil (not a “rum and coke island), the team is using the “Amazon Conquerors” name. With no sponsors, no foreign or even Windian imports, Sarwan has a tough job against the big teams of Australia and South Africa and the Indian mega teams with their four mercenaries, resources and supporters.