Nandu eager to make his mark
Promising teenaged batting sensation, Matthew Nandu, is one of four new additions to the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad for the upcoming Regional FourDay side and he is eager to receive his first cap.
Nandu has already shown his prowess as a quality top order batsman, dominating competitions in Canada where he plays for Kaieteur and Tranzac as well as local competitions where he represents Everest Cricket Club, East Bank Demerara and Guyana at the youth level.
Nandu was called up for the West Indies side in last year’s youth World Cup hosted in the Caribbean and ended up captaining the side. He was only one of two players to score a century during the competition. He also enjoyed favourable returns with his off-spin.
His continuous rise had also landed him a spot in the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise for last year’s Caribbean Premier League.
Despite the weather forcing little match practice, Nandu capitalized on the two practice matches made available, scoring two half-centuries in four innings to eventually end with 152 runs, the second most by any player in the matches.
In an exclusive interview with this publication, Nandu spoke on his performance in the practice matches saying, “It was nice to be able to get in some cricket after a couple months. Especially being able to get some runs before the tournament meant a lot.”
The right-hander expressed his eagerness to be part of the setup.
“I’m excited and beyond grateful for the opportunity.”
The talented top order batsman was humbled by his selection but highlighted that he is just taking it one day at a time and enjoying the experience while looking forward to following in his father’s, footsteps and make his first-class debut.
Nandu’s father Arjune, an allrounder, played four first class matches for Guyana.
His son, wants to charter his own path.
In an effort to make the most of his chances, Nandu has been doing a lot of work both mentally and physically with special emphasis placed on his fitness and technical aspects of his game.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles will leave today for Antigua in preparation for the opening round against Barbados Pride on February 1 before going to Grenada to face Windward Islands Volcanoes from February 8.
Guyana Harpy Eagles squad: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice Captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Akshaya Persaud, Ashmead Nedd, and Shamar Joseph. The Manager is Albert Clements, Head Coach Ryan Hercules, Assistant Coach Garvin Nedd, Cricket Analyst Keshava Ramphal and Physiotherapist Angelica Holder
The reserves are Mavindra Dindyal, Kevlon Anderson, Demetri Cameron, Richie Looknauth and Antony Adams