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Ambition is priceless and at this point, it is limitless for the goal-driven Guyanese Kevin Sinclair, recently recalled to the West Indies One-Day International squad.

A recall was inevitable, given his impressive form with both bat and ball across formats.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles’ all-rounder got the nod for the upcoming three matches against the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah from June 4, and for the 23-year-old, it is a massive opportunity to show his transformation as a player.

His prior ascension to the ‘maroon’ came mainly through exploits with his off-spin, but in recent seasons there has been a significant turnaround in his batting output across formats.

A defensive bowler in the white-ball format was the tag Sinclair entered senior regional and international cricket with, offering teams a chance to ‘squeeze’ an end with a miserly spell.

However, he is now much more.

Though a top-order batsman at the youth level, Sinclair was batting in the lower order in senior cricket, playing mainly mostly as a bowler, and there was justification for this given the little output with the bat when opportunities were presented.

Now with more focus in the nets, Sinclair is reaping the rewards, putting up impressive numbers with bat and ball.

Kevin Sinclair last played an ODI in August 2022

At last year’s Super50, his 153 runs in seven innings came at an average of 30.25, to go with six wickets at an economy rate of under five.

Then, in the Four-Day tournament, 285 runs at 31.66 and 18 wickets further enhanced in all-round quality and adaptability.

The performances didn’t end there, as in the specially arranged Headley/Weekes Tri-Nation series that followed the Regional Four-Day Championship, the Berbician shone yet again with bat and ball.

An average of 49 after the two matches and eight wickets yet again underlined his growing prowess to potentially bat in the top six.

The runs and wickets continued to flow, this time for West Indies ‘A’. In the ongoing three-match Four-Day ‘Test’ series against Bangladesh ‘A’, Sinclair has scored 53* and 32 and produced a match-winning bowling performance of 7-123 (2-44 and 5-79) in game two to give West Indies ‘A’ a 1-0 series lead.

With those performances his confidence has grown, and he is now optimistic about offering more in a substantive role as an all-rounder for West Indies.

Speaking to News Room Sport after the news of selection broke, Sinclair stated: “I have been working hard in the nets, trying to hit more balls than usual, focus on my shot selection and spending more time at the crease.”

“I consider myself a genuine all-rounder and my aim is to definitely bat in the top six. I started my career as an opener and I’m definitely confident about that (batting ability).”

Sinclair, who replaced injured compatriot Gudakesh Motie in the ODI squad, was close to selection in the initial squad, according to Lead Selector Desmond Haynes.

In explaining his recall, Haynes spoke of the young man’s form and improvement in both aspects of his game.

For the man from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, this return is the result of hard work and now “it is about being humble and staying disciplined as I work harder.”

The 23-year-old played his last of three ODIs in August 2022 against New Zealand in Bridgetown, Barbados, while he has six Twenty20 Internationals under his belt.

Mumbai chase runs out of steam

Mumbai lost openers Rohit Sharma and Nehal Wadhera inside three overs of the reply, while Green had to retire hurt in between those two dismissals after being hit on the elbow by a Pandya bumper.

The five-time winners had already had to sub Ishan Kishan due to concussion, following an accidental collision with team-mate Jordan, but managed to stay in contention thanks to the impressive hitting of Tilak Varma.

The left-hander thumped five fours and three sixes before he was castled by Rashid Khan to end his 14-ball knock for 43.

Green was able to return and put on 52 with Suryakumar Yadav, whose presence alone meant Gujarat’s win was far from assured.

But Ireland left-armer Josh Little bowled Green and Yadav was bowled by Mohit soon after bringing up a 33-ball half-century to end the Mumbai charge.

Mohit ran through the lower order to claim career-best T20 figures and send Gujarat, in just their second IPL campaign, back to the final. (BBC Sport)

forthcoming Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the tragic Madhia Secondary School dorm fire will help the government make improvements at dorms all across Guyana.

On Thursday, during his Independence Anniversary address in Lethem, Region Nine, President Dr. Irfaan Ali confirmed that a CoI into the fire would be established soon.

Hours later, the Prime Minister reasoned that this inquiry is necessary.

He said this inquiry will determine all of the factors that caused and contributed to the deadly blaze. It is also expected to recommend corrective measures that can be implemented to prevent any future tragedies.

An overhead view of what now remains of the dorms of the Mahdia Secondary School following the deadly fire

“Coming out of the CoI, in addition to determining blameworthiness, it will also offer an opportunity for recommendations that will help all of us to improve the dorms and facilities that we house our students when they are away from their families,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

It was reported that the fire was started by a young student, but safety concerns about the dormitory have been raised.

Dormitories like the one destroyed at Mahdia house students who live far away from nearby schools. In the case of the fire-ravaged dormitory, girls from several far-flung communities in Region Eight stayed there to attend the Mahdia Secondary School.

The Prime Minister affirmed that these facilities are important to help children advance their education.

The devastating fire started after 23:00 hrs on Sunday night and continued into the wee hours of Monday morning. Authorities confirmed that 18 girls and one boy died in the fire.

Another 29 girls were injured in the fire. Many of them have received the necessary treatment for their physical injuries and are receiving mental health support.

Two girls are, however, receiving critical care and one of those girls will be flown overseas for further treatment soon.

Denver Nuggets await in the NBA Finals, which are expected to start on June 1. (BBC Sport)

fire at the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School will soon fly overseas for much-needed treatment, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said on Friday.

Two girls are said to be receiving critical care at the Georgetown Public Hospital. One girl is, however, in need of further treatment to guarantee her safety.

And so, the Prime Minister said she will be taken overseas for specialised care.

“We identified one of the girls who, in the shortest possible time, will be sent overseas.

“We haven’t yet determined where she will go but based on the doctor’s word, that girl has been identified for further treatment overseas and she is being prepared to be sent overseas,” Prime Minister Phillips told the News Room.

On Thursday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali highlighted that his government received treatment offers for the girls from the Government of Cuba and the Shriners Hospital in Texas, United States of America (USA).

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also said most of the injured girls and their families are receiving necessary mental health support. Four girls, who were affected by the fire, are yet to be transported to Georgetown for specialised care.

“Before the end of this weekend, we envisage that we will satisfy that requirement- having all of the girls who were in the dorm evaluated in Georgetown,” he said.

Efforts are also being made to provide other support, whether cash or kind, to the affected families. Some family members have been flown to Georgetown while others are in their far-flung villages in Region Eight.

The devastating fire started after 23:00 hrs on Sunday night and continued into the wee hours of Monday morning. Authorities confirmed that 18 girls and one boy died in the fire. (Vishani Ragobeer)