Jaguars remain ready for resumption of cricket
FIVE-TIME REIGNING champions Guyana Jaguars are preparing for any possible restart of the Regional Four-Day Championship, despite the disruption caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus in the Caribbean.
Cricket West Indies last week suspended all its domestic competitions for 30 days, including the final two rounds of the first class championship, to help curb the spread of the virus.
“Obviously, we can’t train as a group due to the seriousness of the coronavirus that has been going around,” longserving skipper Leon Johnson told Kaieteur News here.
“But our trainer Neil Barry has set out programmes for us to work at home …. work we can do to keep ourselves in some kind of physical shape.
“Players are smart now and well educated about the do’s and the don’ts, both physically and nutritionally.” He added: “They have been keeping themselves in some kind of fitness so that in case the season restarts in about six weeks’ time, the players will be in some level of fitness.”
DIFFICULT CAMPAIGN
After winning every first title since the introduction of the professional era, Jaguars have endured a difficult campaign and are currently tied in third with Jamaica Scorpions on 91.8 points.
For the first time in several seasons, they have already lost three matches and are adrift of leaders Barbados Pride by 43 points, with only another 48 points available when the season restarts.
However, Jaguars are only narrowly behind second placed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (94.6) and Johnson believes while a sixth title was out of the question, they could still do enough to take the runners-up spot.
“Winning the title would be very difficult … almost impossible … but I think depending on what our franchise would like to achieve at the end of the tournament, I still feel we should always put your best team on the park. Finishing second is also important to the franchise,” explained the seasoned left-hander.
“I don’t think we were constantly good enough this season thus far. In previous seasons we were very consistent in doing good things for long periods. I don’t think that happened for us this season.
“Our fielding has not been what it used to be … it hasn’t been great. I think in those tight situations … we had a close game against Jamaica. A couple of games could have gone differently had we held our catches, also in Grenada we let a couple of go there.”