Yeah, we're back on the Sportsmax zone and we are talking cricket. We're talking with the operations manager of the Ghana cricket board, Antony Dianne Rad, and just before the break, he started talking to us about some of the developments that they're pursuing coming into the 2024 season, particularly interested in Antony in your under-23 league because I think that has been a missing age group in Caribbean cricket. You know, we know we have under-15, under-17 and under-19 tournaments, but key that just that transition from the junior level into the senior program, what was the thinking behind the focusing on under-23s? Well, what happened over the years, what we find is that we lose a lot of talent between the under-19 and the senior when between that transition. So we wanted to have an age group where the players can stay a little longer into the cricket and focus on making a contribution still in cricket. Because a lot of times what you find is that after the under-19 level, the players will decide to maybe go have a full-time job and not focus on the cricket. So we want to have this age group where they can actually stay a little longer, maybe a two or three years more so they can focus on and work hard on being able to perform at a level before they make that decision or that career-changing decision. So it just gives them an added opportunity. Because I say, stay in the system. Yeah, I think the point that's a good point there because there has been a proliferation of Guyanese players now entering the international level with West Indies cricket. But in the past few years, there would have been players between 20 and 24 that are French players and high-quality players. But because of the competitiveness of their particular form in the game, may not really get into the West Indies first 11 immediately. You know, players like Ashmeen Ned and, well, Kevin Sinclair and so on are obviously quality players in their young 20s and are coming out of a system that is trying to prepare them. The GCB is for the higher level. Yeah, and just to add to that, quite a few players that we've had as emerging contracted players. Now, the GCB, in addition to the 15 contracted franchise contracted players, we contract 13 what we call emerging players that are on the 23. So recently, in the 15, in this recent 15 GHE contracted players, six of last year's 13 emerging players have graduated to the GHE franchise. So that is something that we have also placed emphasis on. And I didn't mention that when I reviewed the 2023, but the advent or the addition of having contracted players that are outside of the 15 GHE contracted or franchise contracted system. So it gives us a wider pool to choose from. And we're seeing dividends here with Shomar. Shomar Joseph is a perfect example. He was one of the emerging players last year, and he is now being contracted, fully contracted, as well as as we all know, he's in Australia with the with the test team. Yeah, and making quick strides has always been fast, right? But because of how well he did on the A tour and so on, we understand that the quick moves that he has made. I want to speak quickly about G.C.B.'s relationship with the media in Guyana, Antony, because the fact is that cricket needs needs promotion for a society to embrace the sport that certainly means or meant a lot more to the average Caribbean cricket fan 40 years ago than that it means now. Having said that, I don't follow the electronic media in Guyana that often, but the newspapers, the Guiana Chronicles, Starbrook News, Guiana Times, Guiana Newsroom, Kite Your News. Every time you look at the sports pages, you see cricket stories and the high volume of different competitions in in in Guiana. And I suspect that that is a part of the growth of the sport in Guiana, where the media has the buy in and are playing their role in in promoting and making sure that the readers of these newspapers and the viewers on television are constantly kept abreast with what's happening in the game. Yeah, definitely. Obviously, the media is very important in getting the information out there. If the media is not existing, how would the avid fan know what's going on? So it's very important that we we utilize the media. And we have we have been doing doing that for the past few years. In addition to the print, we also have a very active Facebook page where all the information that we send to the media is also shared on our Facebook page. So in this interaction that we're having here, Anthony, while a lot of cricket fans in the Caribbean are worried about the popularity of the sport and the growth of the sport, there there is a feeling from a distance looking on that that Guiana's cricket is flourishing. I think that that's definitely the case, especially with us winning the CPL and with us being able to win six of the last eight or nine four day championship tournaments. In addition, at the junior level, we won quite a few at the on a 19 level. We've never wanted to be on a 17 level. So winning is very important in keeping the fans interested, if you want to put it that way. So that is what I think that is the contribution. If we if we're not doing something for it, then that means no one would be interested. Yeah. And you the future of a conscious cricket is it is quite often judged by what you do in your youth program. And as you've just referenced, Ghana usually pretty strong in youth cricket. I senior under 15 cricket. There's there's an Adrian Hettmeyer, the nephew of Shimron Hettmeyer, who scored two double centuries in under 15 cricket in Ghana in recent months. The last one, a record score, 277, I think he made. And there was a headline in one of the newspapers that suggested that he appears to be unstoppable young Adrian Hettmeyer. As I said, nephew of Shimron, how good is this young man? I haven't seen him, so I have to depend on you to give me a rating. Yeah, he's very, he's very talented. He's one that we should look out for. Obviously, with those scores, you don't you don't find players scoring out among the runs, especially consecutively two double century. And what what what they call a daddy, a daddy century of 167, I think it was in consecutive. And it is something probably unheard of. Why is it called a daddy century in Ghana? A big century, a big century and more than one hundred and fifty would be a daddy century. He's 14, 14, I think, 14 years. And he represented Guyano at the 15 level last year as well. He didn't have a successful regional tournament. But we we expected him to have a very successful tournament this year, seeing that this would be a second year. And he'll be a lot more experienced. So definitely he's one to look out for in the future. Can you talk to me quickly about your assessment of West Indies cricket at the moment and the part that Guyana can play in fortifying this rebuilding West Indies unit, not only T20, but ODIs and Test as well. I think if you review last year's performance by the West Indies team, although we did not make the Clifton World Cup in the three, we managed to win three T20 series. We managed to win the series against England. So I think that's a step in the right direction. And it's important that we take it in stride. And going into 2024, the franchises, each franchise in the Caribbean, we have an important part to play, not just Guyana. It's all the franchises and all cricket nations in the Caribbean as a part to play in the rebuilding of West Indies. And it's very important that we play each of us play our part. Yeah. And as we look ahead to the T20 World Cup, there are some Guyanese players who are being looked at as possible key players in this West Indies setup, none other than Romario Shepherd among them, both with bat and bat and ball. I'm pretty certain that the Guyanese will be pretty proud of his growth in recent years. Yes, definitely. I think Shepherd has come a long way in 2023. He got a fantastic year. And we're expecting him to be a part of that setup, hopefully. I don't want to put myself in the selectors seat or give the selectors anything to think about. But they also get fired, hopefully. So you don't want to be there. We are hoping that we'll get good representation at the World Cup. Yeah. And Sherfinn Rutherford is a hard-hitting player. Bowles a bit. I'm not sure if Coach Darren Sammy and the captain, Rob Montpah will consider giving him a few more overs. But he is a player that has been around for a few years and having an opportunity now in 2024 to make it even bigger if he can grab his opportunities with both hands. Yeah, definitely. I think after a few years of being out in the wilderness, he's returned to this setup. And hopefully he can maintain his place and secure his place as a permanent member of the West in his team in the near future. Yeah, OK. All right, Anthony, great talking to you. We are very impressed by what the Guyanese have been doing with their cricket in recent years. And I so much like some of your young cricketers in the office here. The guys will tell you that I have a lot of time for Gurekesh Moti. And I think he has a bright future ahead of him. And he's just one of the Guyanese that we think you are on the cusp of making big names for themselves in West Indus cricket and international cricket. So congrats again and keep up the good work from the Sports Matter Zone. You can tell your GCB team. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having me here. Yeah, Anthony Dan Rather. He's the operations manager at the Guyan, a cricket board, talking about the success that the Guyanese cricketers have been having in recent years. We go to break. Still a lot more to come on the Sports Matter Zone.