First Vice-president of the T&T Cricket Board Dudnath Ramkissoon believes that while the Caribbean Premier League may interrupt the national team's preparations for the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 in India, the players may never-the-less benefit by gaining valuable match practice.
Ramkissoon was responding to comments made by the board's executive member Baldath Mahabir, who last week lamented the fact that the inaugural CPL, which takes place from July 30 to August 24, would separate the Red Force players when they could be training together as a unit.
Ramkissoon said that while the situation was not ideal, the players would have to make the most of the situation to ready themselves for the CLT20, which begins on September 17.
"I agree with his comments," he said. "You have the players playing for different teams at a time when you would really want to have them preparing together. Their gelling will have to take place before and after the CPL. However, they will be in a highly competitive environment and it should give them some good match practice before going to India."
The tournament will comprise of 24 matches played between six franchise countries, who are expected to reveal their 15-member squads this week. T&T team manager Omar Khan said he would be interested to see how the players would be divided up.
"It's a matter of them making the most of the opportunity. Obviously it would have been more practical for the whole squad to be together but at least they're playing competitive cricket and keeping themselves fit," he said. "The CPL teams have not been selected yet so it's premature to say what effect the tournament will have on the players."
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