Former inter-county cricketer for Essequibo, Raul Khan describes the short-listing of Ronsford Beaton for the Indian Premier League 2014, as a historic moment for Essequibo cricket.
Khan said Essequibo, a county which over the years produced some top cricketers, will go down in history books, if Beaton is landed an IPL contract come the February 12-13 auction.
“Essequibo is on the cusp of history as Ronsford Beaton has been deservedly identified for the IPL 2014 auction owing to consistently stellar performances. And what an accomplishment it will be indeed if he makes the cut. Ronsford who hails from Reliance on the Essequibo Coast a village which has produced inarguably the most Essequibians to represent Guyana, is unquestionably one of the fastest youngsters in the Caribbean; this can be vindicated by the discomfort he caused to some of the big names in West Indies cricket against whom bowled,†Khan said.
he said though it probably slipped under the radar of the scrutinizing public, more especially ardent critics of Essequibo’s cricket , Beaton is the only player from Essequibo who has forged his way into the national senior team and has been a permanent fixture ever since.
He said by now it is no news flash that this young man was not just pitch-forked into the national team, instead he worked indefatigably with unwavering commitment as any other player would and the effort has certainly started to pay dividends now.
“Even if he lands a lucrative IPL contract and I do not foresee any deterrent as the scouts and his performances can validate, he is still uncapped and a leap away from the donning West Indies colors at the highest level and in recognition, he should be guided by that as his bench mark. After all when he forges into the West Indies senior team, which will be a historical moment for Essequibo. Ultimately, aspiring youngsters from the Cinderella county should be encouraged by Ronsford’s resolute performances and know that they too can propel themselves with indomitable commitment. Felicitations Ransford ,†the former inter-county player remarked.
The uncapped Beaton is among a list of 36 Caribbean cricketers for auction in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Beaton is among several new comers from the West Indies, including Evin Lewis , Nicolas Pooran, Jonathan Carter, Raymon Reifer, Miguel Cummins and Kyle Mayers, who are on a 514-strong list for cricket’s most priced tournament.
The February 12 and 13 auction will see of the biggest names in world cricket go under the hammer on Pepsi IPL Player Auction, at the ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru.
Among the other West Indians up for auction are Marlon Samuels, who is pegged at US$320,000, the highest bidding price for this year’s auction, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith, Kemar Roach, Christopher Barnwell, Darren Bravo and Devendra Bishoo
All-time greats like Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene, Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen and Yuvraj Singh will be in fray as will young talents like Quinton de Kock and Corey Anderson.
There are also three players from Associate nations, namely Niall and Kevin O’Brien from Ireland and Ryan Ten Doeschate from Netherlands.
The proceedings will commence at 9:30 am, on Wednesday, 12 February 2014. They will be conducted by Richard Madley, who has been conducting the IPL Player Auctions since the inaugural season, 2008.
It will be the first IPL Auction wherein the bidding will be done in Rupees (INR).
