Ahead of the 2022 season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), newly-appointed Guyana Amazon Warriors captain, Shimron Hetmyer shared he is relishing the challenges of leadership as well as the possibility of leading the Warriors to a maiden CPL title.
The Guyana native began by assessing his team’s showing in the inaugural edition of THE 6IXTY.
“We all know how THE 6IXTY went for us,” he said of finishing last on the table following the group stage. “We didn’t really play to the best of our ability, but it was still a learning curve for us as a team because most of the guys didn’t really have the experience of playing 10 overs before. So going ahead, it’s something that we could probably put a little more emphasis on, in terms of how we go about planning the innings, planning how to get to a specific score, and stuff like that.”
Having led the West Indies Under-19 team to the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title in 2016, Hetmyer revealed he was excited to continue his maiden full captaincy stint at the senior level.
“I am very excited. It is something that I was really looking forward to and it is something I think that I could learn a lot from, in terms of taking my cricket forward. Like how to manage my innings, [and] how to look after the team, as well. Just to be a little bit more of a team player and [not] just trying to get hit sixes and fours. So I am trying as much as possible to do as much as I can, in terms of being the captain; trying to help as much as I can, and just being there for the team.”
The left-hander though revealed that it will not be a one-man leadership show. Instead, there are several players he will be relying upon to share the burden come crunch time.
“I have no idea who is the vice-captain of the team, but there [are a lot] of guys there that are actually experienced. There’s the keeper that always helps, in terms of field placement. There is also Keemo [Paul] who helps me, as well. [There’s also Romario] Shepherd. There are so many of the guys.”
“I think it is the experience really,” he continued when asked what prompted him to accept the role, especially with the T20 World Cup a few weeks away.
“Being around the West Indies team, I think I have learned a lot, in terms of how to go about doing stuff as someone in a leadership [position]. I am just trying to do my best, trying to help the guys that are coming up in their careers and who are in the center part of their careers – just like myself – to push on and to play more for the West Indies. And just trying to [share] some of the things that I would have learned in the different leagues that I would have played in.”
On his preferred batting position this season, Hetmyer said:
“It’s to be decided. [It will depend] mainly [on] the balance of the team. In this team, it would be much easier for me to bat a little bit higher [due to] the fact that we have so much power down to the end. Being a team like that, you don’t really want to disrupt the power players. So it is for me to try as much as possible to just stick around as the captain, and as a batsman, getting as much as I can out of our team.”
When asked whether he feels pressured or sees this as an opportunity to prove he can lead at this level, he said:
“It’s a little bit of both. Knowing that you are [going to play] at home, it’s fun and exciting but it’s also very challenging because you know that you have to win. There is this pressure on you to win but I really relish playing in Guyana.
“I love playing at home [in front of the home] crowd and so on. And [also] knowing the conditions that I am playing in, as well. So all of that helps but it makes it just a little bit more exciting a little bit more special when you actually win games and Guyana.”
The 25-year-old concluded by saying that he doubted wanting to make the West Indies T20 World Cup squad would have any impact on his performances this season.
“I see [captaincy] as a challenge. I relish challenges. Once I do even half of my best, I know we will get to a decent score more times than not. So it is really for me to focus on how I go about doing that, and how I go about setting up an innings, just being out in the crease for as long as possible and not thinking too far ahead to the World Cup.”
The Amazon Warriors bow into action against the Tallawahs tomorrow at 9 MA local time/ 10 AM Jamaica time.
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