Whither Narsingh Deonarine

Many were the surprised faces when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) selectors announced the 13-man squad for the opening match of the 2003 regional tournament, a team that did not include Narsingh Deonarine.

After all, as recently as 1999, the 19-year-old left-hander was being mentioned in the same breath as Marlon Samuels and Ryan Hinds as future West Indies Test material.

Surely, after several West Indies Under-19 tours and a 'B' team sojourn, and with Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan absent, Deonarine would walk right into the Guyana middle-order.

This was not to be however, and he as been relegated to the ranks of reserves while others, of seemingly lesser talent, have forced their way into the team through better production.

Deonarine has experienced a number of highs and lows in his short career, rebounding every time there was a disappointment. This however, is going to be his biggest challenge, especially since it is reported that he is being pressured/persuaded by family to join them in living in the USA. There is a serious threat then that the talented left-hander from Albion in Berbice could be lost to Guyana and West Indies cricket forever.

Yet, looking at his career gives us a ray of hope. ?

Anyone who saw him in St. Lucia in 1997 would be surprised he is still considered one of the bright prospects of WI cricket.

Thrust into the role of captain of the Guyana Under-15s, he failed miserably. There was even a hint of trepidation in his whole approach to the game, later attributed to the culture shock experienced by the entire team, but lo and behold, he was back in 1998 in Jamaica, notching up a record aggregate (225) to lead Guyana to their first title.

One half-century in the Under-19 that same year, in Trinidad and Tobago, was followed by three centuries in Barbados in 1999 when he was selected to the West Indies team to the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

It was back to the doldrums in 2000 when home fans were expecting big things. His highest score in that tournament was 28 made in his final innings. He was still selected for the West Indies Under-19 visit to England in 2001 and even captained the team to the 2002 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. ?

Like in his youth career, he has also suffered from inconsistency at the first-class level. A patient unbeaten 54 for Guyana against India 'A' at Uitvlugt in 1999, has been followed by one other score of over 50 in 22 innings -- a 73 for West Indies 'B' in the 2001 tournament, for an average of 21.52.

Still, he's barely 19 years old and, with the right guidance, could be an asset to Guyana and West Indies cricket for a long time. ?

Although similar to Shivnarine Chanderpaul in appearance at the crease, Deonarine does not possess the same steely resolve of his more illustrious counterpart and thus would need all the help he can get from Chetram Singh and company at the Guyana Cricket Board. ?