Guyana’s senior national Men’s cricket team has been renamed ‘Guyana Harpy Eagles’, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Formerly Guyana Jaguars, the team was rebranded Guyana Amazon Jaguars in December 2021, but according to the GCB, that name created “some level of confusion” with the country’s Caribbean Premier League franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors.
“The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) wishes to inform the general public that it was brought to its attention that the current name of the Guyana Regional Franchise Cricket Team, the Guyana Amazon Jaguars, has caused some level of confusion with the Caribbean Premier League Franchise Team, the Guyana Amazon Warriors,” the GCB said in a release.
“For the sake of clarity and to avoid any further and unnecessary confusion, GCB has made a decision to rename the Guyana Regional Franchise Cricket Team. The new name is ‘GUYANA HARPY EAGLES.”
At a press conference in December, GCB president Bissoondyal Singh explained what prompted the name change, as he announced the franchise will now be under the full control of the GCB, instead of the “private entity”, Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI).
“It must be noted that in the other territories, CWI [Cricket West Indies] affiliate boards own the franchise company, this is not the case in Guyana. The Guyana Cricket Board does not own CGI, and this along with other reasons has caused the GCB to effect a name change of the national franchise team,” the GCB President explained.
“We have asked Cricket West Indies to deal directly with the GCB and no third party,” the CWI Director further stated.
This move is also aimed at creating new contracts for players and the coaches, and also getting access to the Cricket Development funds from CWI.
CGI was created when CWI launched its Professional Cricket League for senior male Four-Day and 50-over cricket in 2014.
CGI managed all the affairs of the Jaguars and subsequently started a local Academy in which players outside of the 15 contracted Guyana Jaguars players, were paid monthly salaries from CGI.
The contracted Guyana Jaguars players were also paid through CGI, but their monthly salaries, match and tour fees were catered for by CWI.
