Sixteen-year-old Alvin Mohabir was called up to the West Indies Under-19 trails in Antigua, which is one step closer to the dream of making the squad.
Unfortunately, Mohabir joined the trials much too late to be part of the trail matches given he had to undergo quarantine and was not part of the initial Guyanese quartet that went to the trials.
According to a Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) release, the scheduled arrival of the players will make it difficult for them to participate in trial matches geared at the selection for the England tour in September.
The GCB further indicated the Team Management will conduct skills assessment of the players under the supervision of Cricket West Indies Head of Talent Identification, Robert Haynes, with a view of being drafted into the ongoing training programme for the ICC Under-19 World Cup scheduled to be played in the West Indies in January and February 2022.
Nevertheless, the young man who hails from Kitty, Georgetown, and started playing at the Transport Cricket Club at the age of nine, is still elated he has returned to Antigua.
In 2019, the off-spinner and left-handed batsmen played for the Guyana Under-15 team at the Regional Under-15 tournament held on the island.
Speaking to News Room Sport recently, Mohabir said he was frustrated that he did not get to represent Guyana at the Under-17 and Under-19 levels in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but said he still kept working hard.
“Yeah, it is a dream come true; I was surprised that I made it, I didn’t know I would have gone so far but I just pushed and ended up making it,” he happily expressed.
In the precursor to this opportunity, the young man stated: “I was training with the guys at La Bonne Intention and I was training hard to make the team and my parents supported me a lot. My parents are always behind me; they get me up early in the mornings to run (and) in the afternoon, and they always at my games.”
His dedicated parents are Chandrat Mohabir, an Electrician, and Chandrine Mohabir, housewife. Alvin’s younger brother Dave was slated to play Under-15 for Guyana in 2020, but the pandemic spoiled such, while he has an elder brother, Arvin.
For him, making it at this level would mean the world. “It would mean a lot to me to make the team, and make my parents proud.”
His uncle, Mohan Ramdeen, played for Guyana at the youth level, and he too has offered valuable advice to the West Indies hopeful.
The initial 56 players were split into four groups of 14 where they played against each other in four matches.
The selectors will now cut the squad to 26, then 18 for the Youth One-Day International tour to England in September.
The seven not selected for England tour will continue to work with a programme which has been ongoing Virtually over the past seven months with some regional youth players.
The Under-19 coaching comprises Floyd Reifer (Head Coach), Rohan Nurse (Assistant Coach), Sir Curtly Ambrose (Bowling Coach), and Steve Liburd (Fielding Coach).
Editor’s Note: Cricket West Indies on Tuesday (August 17, 2021) announced a 26-member squad to continue preparations for the West Indies Rising Stars U-19s tour of England next month. Mohabir, unfortunately, did not make the cut. Read about the selection HERE.
