DESPITE performing creditably
with the West Indies Under-19
Rising Stars during their tour of
England, Matthew Nandu is not taking
it for granted that his place is secured
for the ICC World Cup to be hosted by
Cricket West Indies (CWI) early next
year.
According to the 18-year-old opener,
who also bowls off-spin, he still has
to complete the job since no spot is
guaranteed. He is however cautiously
optimistic of making the squad and will
“let my performances do the talking.”
Back in Canada, via Guyana following
the six-match One-day tour of England,
Nandu said the tour of England
was quite a satisfying one for him
personally although the West Indies
Rising Stars were beaten 4-2 by their
English counterparts in the One-day
series.
Pointing out that he would have loved
to get a hundred after ending the
series with consecutive half-centuries,
Nandu said the rib injury sustained in
the second One-day was also a minor
setback which saw him missing the
third game.
Nandu, who opted to represent West
Indies instead of Canada, said playing
in England was a great experience with
the ball moving on the pitches and in
the air. He however said he was able to
make the necessary adjustments after
the first game but still felt he should
have been a bit more aggressive.
The West Indies Under-19 Rising
Stars, who toured England and others
who didn’t make the cut, are set to
join a High-Performance camp in
Antigua from November 14-28 under
the watchful eyes of Head Coach Floyd Reifer and assistant
Rohan Nurse. The squad for the Under-19 World Cup is
expected to be shortlisted following the completion of the
camp.
Meanwhile, Nandu, who is also the son of former
Guyana and Canadian player Arjune Nandu, played
pivotal roles in Kaieteur International’s winning of
the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) 2021
First Division title.
One day after returning from Guyana, Nandu
starred with both bat and ball, bagging three for
24 with his off-spin and smashed an unbeaten 54
as Kaieteur International defeated Palace
Panthers by seven wickets in the 50-
over semi-final contest played at
Ashtonbee Number Two ground.
Batting first, Palace Panthers were
dismissed for a paltry 94 in 28.2
overs. Kaieteur reached the
required target in 26 overs,
losing three wickets.
Nandu was again among
the runs in the final versus
United Titans, smashing
five fours and two sixes in a
top-score of 59 and sharing
an opening partnership of
134 with Navin Nauth (59) as
Kaieteur waltz to a seven-wicket
emphatic victory and championship
honours.
Asked to take first strike at Ashtonbee
Number One ground, United Titans were
restricted to 157 all out in 49.1 overs.
Former Canadian Under-19 left-arm
spinner Raqib Shamsudeen was the chief
wrecker with four for 28 in 9.2 overs.
The youthful Kaieteur side reached the
winning target in 32.2 overs, losing three
wickets in the process.
Nandu’s performance earned him the
Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Nandu Cautiously Optimistic But Concedes No Spot Is Guaranteed!
