By Avenash Ramzan
The preparatory camp was just about a week; enough time for Guyana Amazon Warriors Head Coach Johan Botha to tick all the boxes heading into their opening match of the Hero Caribbean Premier League on Thursday (August 9).
Speaking briefly after the Warriors second practice game on Tuesday evening at Providence, the South African, in his maiden coaching stint with the franchise, exuded optimism about what transpired during encampment and is upbeat about the team’s prospects in the tournament.
“Yes, I think we’ve covered all the boxes,” a confident Botha said.
After assessing conditions here, his players’ strengths and weaknesses and what the opposition, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, will bring, Botha is almost certain of his starting XI for Thursday.
“Definitely. I think we sort of worked it out and I think things went to plan tonight, so I think we’re very close; we probably got 11 or 12 and we might have to make one final decision,” Botha explained.
He added, “Everyone’s here, which is a good thing. I think a few teams will wait and wait until the last day, but we’re lucky that everyone has come in early and has worked well together this week.”
In the two practice games, batsmen Shimron Hetmyer (67), Shoaib Malik (47 and 37), Sherfane Rutherford (40) and Luke Ronchi (48*) were among the runs, while off-spinner Chris Green and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo bagged four wickets each and Veerasammy Permaul got three in the second match.
Commenting on Green’s progress in the camp, Botha said he is impressed with how the Australian has acclimatised to conditions in Guyana. Green was brought in as a replacement for Cameron Delport for the first four games of the tournament.
“I know what he brings to the table and I’ve sort of backed him all along and that’s why I wanted him here. I think he’s got a great attitude. He’s still a young man so he still wants to learn and he’s got a good skills set so I think he would do really well in the CPL,” Botha stated.
