Manager of the T&T cricket team Omar Khan says that national teams are failing T&T at the moment.
He made his comments after his first session with the national cricketers yesterday, since his re-appointment as national manager. The highly touted Khan has been chosen as manager of the T&T team for his second stint after the resignation of Colin Borde last month. Speaking to the Trinidad Guardian, Khan said :"I must say that at the moment national teams are failing T&T. We have individuals who have performed brilliantly over the past year but the teams, the cricket team and the football team especially have not done the country proud." Khan is vowing to improve the current position of the T&T team on the regional circuit beginning with the regional T20 in mid January. "I met with the national players today and I have stressed to them that we need 'thinking' cricketers out there representing T&T.
As is normal in life, I think that the players would have relaxed a bit too much over the past year and taken things for granted and hence paid the price. "They need to set realistic goals and in order to attain this, they need to take a professional approach to their cricket. That is another thing that we have to work on and it is the professionalism within the sport here. "I have told the guys in no uncertain terms that talent alone cannot win tournaments. They have talent in abundance but they need to think through situations that would crop-up during the game and move accordingly. I see no reason why we cannot go on and win this upcoming regional T20 cricket tournament. None of the teams are ahead of us and we must go out there and execute the plans set out by the coach."
Khan comes into the job a second time with the experience of managing the West Indies cricket team and says he still has the passion to serve. "I love my country and would do anything to make sure T&T do well. I am going out there tirelessly to ensure that the players are well taken care off and well prepared for the battles ahead, and hopefully they can have a change of fortune." The national squad will train today at the Naparima College in San Fernando and will do some work with 'Cricket Logistics' a company set up to deal with the technical flaws of the players using video analysis.