Stylish left-handed batsman Darren Bravo was not selected on the T&T Red Force team for the second round match of the West Indies Four-day championship match against the Leewards Hurricanes starting at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Friday.
The T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) released the names of the players yesterday, and Bravo who was initially touted as being on the team to face the Leewards was a notable absentee. Coach Kelvin Williams told Guardian Sport that Bravo indicated that he will not be available for this clash but will make himself available from the next round, which is against Jamaica at Sabina Park.
Making a return to the team after their sojourn to Bangladesh with the Windies team is fast bowler Shannon Gabriel and left-arm spinner Khary Pierre. Williams is excited about their return: “It is good to have these guys back with us, and we are looking for great performances from them. Shannon has not played four-day cricket for quite a while, so we are hoping that he runs in hard for us and makes a difference. It is good to have them with us, as we look to get our campaign back on track after losing our opening match against the Windwards.”
However, the return of Gabriel on a slow track can mean hard work for the fast bowler: “We are hoping that there is something in the track for the fast bowlers. I am looking forward to getting something a bit livelier for our fast bowlers. The Leewards have four fast bowlers too, but it is good to see the ball coming on to the bat, which helps the batsmen as well with their stroke play. The groundsmen have promised to leave some grass on the track, so we wait and see.”
T&T Red Force has an abysmal record at the Southern venue, having lost all their four matches there to date. “We have lost all four matches at the venue, and we must also understand that we have lost all four tosses as well. The toss on pitches like the Lara Academy is key, so we are hoping at least we can get a slice of luck as far as that is concerned. Having said that, I thought that although we lose the toss against the Windwards, our bowlers were very good after lunch on an opening day. The batting is what let us down against the Windwards, and we are looking for a much-improved performance from our batsmen this time around.”
The squad is Denesh Ramdin (Capt), Kyle Hope, Jeremy Solozano, Yannick Cariah, Amir Jangoo, Jason Mohammed, Joshua Da Silva, Khary Pierre, Brian Charles, Daniel St.Clair, Imran Khan, Anderson Phillip and Shannon Gabriel. Manager R. Sampath, Coach: K. Williams, Physio: J. Pilgrim.