By Avenash Ramzan

West Indies ace batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has signaled his intentions of representing Guyana in the final round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional first-class cricket competition from February 26 against the Windward Islands in Grenada. The classy right-hander, who had been sidelined with a back injury since returning from the West Indies’ Test tour of Australia in December, told this publication yesterday that he’s in the final week of therapy and is currently working on reaching match fitness.

The 29-year-old batsman, who has appeared in 83 Tests and 152 ODIs for a combined total of 10,666 runs, was involved in four net sessions over the past week and a half, and according to him, “the back is pain free…and batting is also pain free.”

He further related that the recovery process is going according to plan, and apart from the net sessions, he has thrown in some hours at the gym in Florida, where he is being treated. Sarwan, who was originally named captain of the Guyana team for the first round of the current WICB competition before the injury forced him out, is now awaiting the final evaluation from the doctor and physiotherapist before returning to Guyana this weekend.

The stylish batsman informed that he’s eager to get back in action, and has communicated his intentions to Guyana Cricket Board president Chetram Singh and chairman of the national selectors, Claude Raphael.

Sarwan, who has scored 15 Test hundreds and three in ODIs, has featured in 186 first-class matches scoring 11,623 runs with 30 centuries. Although Guyana’s title hunt is officially over after suffering three successive defeats and earning a face-saving draw in the first round of this year’s premier regional four-day competition, the return of Sarwan will at least spark hopes of ending the season on a high.

His recovery is also good news for the West Indies selectors as they prepare to deliberate over the options for the Digicel Home Series against Zimbabwe next month. Following that is the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in April-May, and the arrival of South Africa for a Test and ODI series.

Guyana started the season without Sarwan and the prolific Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was also injured, and later lost key men Narsingh Deonarine and Travis Dowlin, who were summoned to Australia with the West Indies team. An inexperienced middle-order failed to deliver, and despite Chanderpaul’s return for the last round, Guyana still could not stave off defeat against Barbados at Albion last weekend.

First published in the Guyana Times.