Kamil Pooran has been included in the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force team ahead of the team's match against Barbados in the West Indies Championship at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair, Port-of-Spain which starts Wednesday.
The Central Sports opener has been rewarded for a successful club season that saw him score 200 against the Comets and 112 against Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) II.
Speaking to Guardian Media Sports, the 26-year-old batsman said: “This is an opportunity I have been looking for.”
He acknowledges that he has to keep putting in more work and tries to learn every day.
“It feels good scoring a few runs behind my name, so the confidence is there,” said Pooran, who also admitted he is hoping to learn from the senior players on the team and “try to build my name”.
He will be joined by West Indies wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva, back from South Africa with the West Indies, and Anderson Phillip, who is returning from the injured list.
The trio will take the places of Jeremy Solozano, Keagan Simmons, and Justin Manick on the team. Solozano has accumulated 98 runs in the three matches, with an average of 16.3. His highest score this season is 34 against Windward Islands Volcanoes.
Simmons was drafted into the team in the second match against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes after Vikash Mohan’s injury against the Volcanoes. During the matches against Hurricanes and the Guyana Harpy Eagles, Simmons scored 29 runs at an average of 7.25, with his best score being 15.
Pooran, who opened with Simmons when scoring his double-century, says it is no problem gelling with the Red Force teammates.
“I know almost everyone there. We have a very, good relationship with everyone. This will be easy," said Pooran.
Manick just had one match against Harpy Eagles. The young 21-year-old Powergen fast bowler came in for some good praise by assistant coach Rayad Emrit who stated: “We are going to keep on working with him.”
Emrit explained Manick came in for just one match as a replacement for the injured Terrence Hinds, with Anderson Phillip getting ready to return this week.
The former West Indies allrounder, recalling Manick’s debut performance, said: “He went well throughout. Obviously, there will be butterflies, he was a bit nervous.”
Emrit acknowledged that gradually during the continuation of the match, Manick got better, saying: “He shows a lot of talent, his discipline is excellent, definitely we are going to stick with him. He is one for the future.”
Looking forward to the match against the Barbadians, and the threat they possess with the battery of pace bowlers, Emrit explained: “We know that their strength is the pacers, we already know that. Our batters are not afraid of fast bowling. We are just uncomfortable against the ball that is swinging.”
Barbados, who did not get to practice at the Oval on Monday, will be hoping to get in some practice at the venue Tuesday. They will be buoyed by the return of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowler Akeem Jordan both back from West Indies duty on the African continent.
Red Force squad
Darren Bravo (Captain), Kamil Pooran, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Mohammed, Vikash Mohan, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Imran Khan, Anderson Phillip, Uthman Muhammad, Khary Pierre, Bryan Charles, Jyd Goolie.