Narsingh Deonarine Rebounds, Again
Three months ago, Narsingh Deonarine?s fledgling career was at a crossroads. Indifferent form leading up to selection of the Guyana team for the Carib Beer tournament resulted in him being relegated to the ranks of reserves.
With West Indies players Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan probably returning for the latter rounds of the competition, the young Deonarine seemed destined to a season of watching the action from the pavilion.
Before the Carib Beer competition, I openly wondered if he would still be in the region at the end of the season, believing he might choose to join his family in the USA. Yet, like he has done so many times during his short career, Deonarine came bouncing back ? hard. His season, looking so bleak at the start, almost ended perfectly. Who would have thought he would be included in the West Indies squad for the first test, albeit after countryman Carl Hooper had withdrawn.
The little left-hander from Albion in Berbice is, however, noted for remarkable comebacks after rock bottom performances. As mentioned in an earlier article, each time the 19-year-old seemed to be out for the count he would come up with a performance so outstanding as to warrant comparison with other illustrious Guyanese of his ilk.
Already similar to Shivnarine Chanderpaul in build and appearance at the crease Deonarine, according to some knowledgeables, has also evoked memories of former star Alvin Kallicharran with his stroke-play.
His ups and downs warrant repeating in the context of the situation.
After the disastrous Under-15 tournament in St. Lucia in 1997 when, as captain, he looked incapable of getting the ball off the square, Deonarine blasted a record 225 to lead his team to the first title in Jamaica the following year.
He was thrust into the Ramnaresh Sarwan-led team for the 1998 Nortel Under-19 tournament in Trinidad where he managed just one score above 50, but followed that up with three centuries in the 1999 stanza in Barbados.
It was back to the doldrums in 2000 when home fans were expecting big things from the now West Indies Youth player. He however, proved to be a major disappointment with 28 in his final innings being his most noteworthy score.
Then, like now, the regional selectors recognized his potential and nevertheless selected him to the Under-19 team to visit England and he even captained the squad to the 2002 Youth World Cup in New Zealand.
His prowess at the Under-19 has not been transferred to first-class cricket however and he has been unable to hold a regular place in the Guyana team, in fact he was not even in this year?s squad.
West Indies selectors once again realized he was too special a talent to be sitting on the sidelines and he was immediately snapped for the Under-23 team.
Deonarine got off to a slow start before finishing the season with successive centuries. Then came his maiden first-class ton, in the final match of the preliminary rounds, which ensured the Windies 'B' team held on for a draw against India ?A? while his career-best 141 not out almost took the Carib Beer XI to an unlikely victory over Australia at Everest.
Before that, his form forced the Guyana selectors to include him in the final eleven for the Carib Beer semi-final against Jamaica.
Despite his improved showing Deonarine is however, unlikely to break into the Test team this season. He needs a bit more consistency to supplement his undoubted talent but, for now, he has proven he can rebound from adversity again and again.