President of the Central Sports Cricket Club Richard Ramkissoon is quietly optimistic that the imminent lifting of current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions, will allow for the start of local cricket.
The game was halted in March when the pandemic started taking its toll locally and regionally which forced the curtailment of the 2020 cricket season.
At the time, Central Sports, based in Felicity, Chaguanas were poised to make a serious challenge to claim the National League Premier I league title, which represented club supremacy.
The top club administrator is hoping that a relaxation of the COVID-19 regulations by the Ministry of Health will allow a shortened season which is planned by the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) which wants to stage a two-round 50-over competition and a T20 tournament for the top clubs.
Ramkissoon, who is also a member of the National League Committee, headed by chairman Parasram Singh is confident that adequate protocols can be put in place to allow for the safe conduct of the shortened season.
He said Central Sports cricketers have been placed on alert to start preparations with high hopes that they pick up where they left off last year when they were making a strong run for the club crown.
Recently, Ramkissoon paid a visit to the club's Invaders Ground on Maha Sabha Street, Chaguanas, in an effort, to get a first-hand look at the facility to identify what needs to be done to get the playing field ready and spruce up the pavilion and dressing rooms for its members and visiting teams alike.
He was accompanied by Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally and Councillor for Felicity/Endeavour Wendy Francis, who have both offered their help to provide a safe and proper venue for the cricketers.
Invaders ground is also equipped with a jogging track and floodlights and is also used to stage religious and cultural events involving the village and the national community.
MP Rambally, a keen cricket enthusiast also lent a hand with the roller as members of his team along with Ramkissoon, took a turn to assist the groundsmen.
Meanwhile, on December 23, the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath wrote to Minister of Health Terrance Deyalsingh seeking government approval for the nation’s top men’s cricketers to return to action.
He stated that if senior cricket is given the green light to resume, the TTCB hopes to bowl off the 2021 season on January 6 with a national 50-overs competition after the board's executive had given the go-ahead to proceed with plans for the anticipated start of the season.
According to the release: “This 50-overs tournament is especially important as the national cricketers try to get as much preparation (as possible) for the Cricket West Indies Super50 Cup which is to be played in Antigua & Barbuda from February 4 to the 27. The TTCB 50-overs tournament will involve the leading cricketers bidding for national selection playing in four teams representing North, Central, South, and East/ Tobago.”
Additionally, the TTCB plans to host its Under-23 Inter Zone Tournament on January 29, once given the all-clear by the Health Ministry.
However, he told Guardian Media Sports yesterday, Bassarath said that the email letter sent to the Ministry of Health was not even acknowledged to date.
"We at the TTCB learnt of the Minister's response through the media but the Ministry has not communicated with us. We're waiting until the next briefing by the Prime Minister as we wait on sports to restart. Also, we will not be encouraging anyone to breach the rules laid down by the authorities."
Bassarath said: "Our email also included protocols to be implemented at match venues on game day but not even that we have gotten a response to."
The TTCB also announced that in deference to the pandemic, the National League top tier competition will be staged in only two formats, with the Sunday League 50-Overs series bowling off on March 7. Finals in the two divisions will be contested on consecutive days, April 24 and 25, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba.
The T20 tournament will start on May 2 in the Premiership II Division at various venues across Trinidad. The Premiership I division will be played in a festival format starting on May 20, with the final carded for May 29. The top Premiership II clubs will join the festival from the semi-final stage.
However, to date, the Ministry of Health has not given the all-clear to proceed.
On November 7, the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that national and international teams preparing for competition in the future can resume training during the Ministry of Health virtual press conference while providing an update on the COVID-19 pandemic update at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.
However, he said, that teams waiting for domestic action will have to wait a while longer, giving the assurance that more will be done for sports once they can do so.
Bassarath announced that T&T will also host Pakistan for a four-day First-Class match against a representative team at the Tarouba facility followed by two Test matches at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, and two T20s at BLCA on August 14 and 15. The Tests at the Oval are from July 30 - August 3, and from August 7 -11.