JAMES MAKES FINAL CUT

“HAVING THE LEGENDS PICK YOU IS AN HONOUR”

The thought of becoming a millionaire from playing just three hours of Cricket is secondary to representing the region in the richest pay out for a single Cricket match ever or a single sporting event.{{more}}

Vincentian Lindon James, called up to represent the Stanford Superstars for the winner takes it all US$20 Million 20/20 Cricket match to be played November 1, in Antigua and Barbuda, at the Stanford Cricket Ground, against an England XI, sees the latter the more important.

James, 23, who has never played for a regional team, said: “This will just open a lot of doors for me and is a stepping stone to hopefully greater things. I can’t complain”.

“Getting on the team was a lot of hard work with both bat and glove,” James stated.

James made the final cut after two weeks of training and practice matches in Antigua and Barbuda recently.

“I was one of the fittest persons in the camp, as I was working hard before I knew I was in the provisional squad of thirty-two”, James, who captains local club ECGC Radcliffe, remarked.

“I have been working hard for the past two years, and I guess it is pay back time”, he said.

He was more so delighted that several past West Indies greats like Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Everton Weekes, Curtly Ambrose, Lance Gibbs, Richie Richardson, Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh were the ones whose eyes he caught.

“Having the legends pick you is an honour; I feel real great”, James added.

In the process, the South Rivers born James displaced incumbent West Indies wicket keeper Denesh Ramdin.

“Ramdin has been around for some time. I respect him a lot; we both play for the same club in Trinidad, and to get past him is a milestone”, James said to SEARCHLIGHT last Tuesday afternoon.

With November 1 firmly fixed in his mind, James is busily completing his training regimen for the big day.

“I am working on a programme and will go back to Antigua on the 18th of September, and remain there until the match,” James revealed.

When quizzed about him entertaining the thoughts of becoming a millionaire, James quipped: “My focus is for us to first win the match, then the money, of course, comes after”.

Every member of the winning squad will take home a million US dollars, with another million being shared among the coaching and management staff. The West Indies Cricket Board and the England Cricket Board will split the remaining cash.

Apart from James, there is West Indies Captain Jamaican Chris Gayle, along with countrymen Xavier Marshall, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor. Lionel Baker, of Montserrat, Sulieman Benn, of Barbados, Dwayne Bravo, Rayad Emrit, Dave Mohammed, and Kieron Pollard, of Trinidad and Tobago, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Lennox Cush, of Guyana. Grenadian Andre Fletcher, and Antiguans Chad Hampson and Sylvester Joseph, complete the 17 member team.

Antiguan Eldine Baptiste is the team’s Coach, with Roger Harper his assistant.

The Superstars is managed by former West Indies off spinner Lance Gibbs. Anguillan Cardigan O Connor will assist Gibbs. (RT)