‘Nagas’ gets the axe

GEORGETOWN: Guyana’s national selectors dropped a bombshell yesterday when they omitted West Indies all-rounder and national vice-captain Mahendra Nagamootoo from their Carib Beer Cup squad. Also axed were experienced opening batsman Azeemul Haniff, and middle-order batsmen Lennox Cush and Andre Percival from the squad that played the three away Carib Beer matches. In their places come four new caps — including 16-year-old Leon Johnson — in the 13-man squad to face the Leewards Islands in a Carib Beer fourth round clash starting at the Enmore Community Centre Ground today.

They are Georgetown Cricket Club’s teenaged left-handed batsman Johnson, East Coast Under-19 all-rounder Zaheer Mohamed and Berbicians’ left-arm spinner Hemnarine Harrinarine and all-rounder Damodar Daesrat. And Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) batsman Travis Dowlin will take over from Nagamootoo as vice-captain. The Guyana 13-man squad under manager Carl Moore and coach Albert Smith returned home on Tuesday night after losing all their matches outright and in the process registering no points in their three-away games against Barbados, Jamaica and Windward Islands. The Guyana’s batting in those matches was far from impressive and from all reports, they showed a lack of commitment. The team’s showing was so much a cause for concern, that the GCB under president Chetram Singh convened a meeting on Tuesday at the Board’s office at which all the Area Board presidents were present, along with the national selectors, skipper Neil McGarrell and manager and coach of the Guyana team. Also present was public relations officer Terry Holder.

Squad: Neil McGarrell (capt), Travis Dowlin (v-capt), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Krishna Arjune, Narsingh Deonarine, Vishal Nagamootoo, Reon Thomas, Rayon Griffith and Esan Crandon. Damodar Dasrat, Zaheer Mohammed, Leon Johnson, Hemnarine Harrinarine.