Red Force captain Darren Bravo has opted out of the North team forcing the reigning champions to make four changes as they begin their defence of the North-South classic title starting on Thursday at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva.
Guardian Media Sports confirmed the four changes to the North team via a telephone interview with the North management team.
The left-hander is out (no reason given), along with Yannic Cariah (who travelled to Bangladesh for the BPL), Terrence Hinds (injured), and Uthman Muhammad who is unavailable. The northerners have called up the quartet of Philton Williams, Anderson Mahase, Leonardo Julien, and Eric Garcia in their places.
Vikash Mohan will now lead the team and will have as his deputy spinner Khary Pierre.
However, South will be hoping the form of Kjorn Ottley will carry on to the annual four-day match. Ottley scored 127 retired not out and 48 not out in the latest Red Force trial match at the Inshan Ali Park that ended on the weekend.
Apart from the 34-year-old opener, South on Central Sports opener Kamil Pooran struck 83 and 53 in the last trial match for the Red Force. Pooran, 27, made his Red Force first-class debut last year after scoring heavily last year that included a double hundred.
South can also rely on 24-year-old Cephas Cooper, who was among the runs in all formats for Powergen Sports last term. Cooper just missed out on selection to the Red Force Super 50 team last year and will be hoping that he will be in the team this time around. He will be keen to get some good scores to put pressure on the national selectors.
Other usual suspects that South can depend on include ICC Under 19 World Cup winner Jyd Goolie, the evergreen Jason Mohammed, and Shatrughan Rambaran who got a taste of regional cricket last year when he turned out for the Combined Colleges and Campuses in the Regional Super 50.
The bowling will be led by out-of-favour West Indies fast bowler Anderson Phillip, who will be keen to return, not only to the Red Force team but also to the West Indies team. The right-arm fast was not named in a test team (to tour Australia) that included seven rookies including rookie fast bowler Shamar Joseph who played just four matches after making his debut for Guyana Harpy Eagles last year.
Skipper Imran Khan and national teammate Bryan Charles will lead the spin department for the Southerners.
As far as the North is concerned, it will be without skipper Bravo who has been Red Force’s best batsman in both the Four-Day and Super 50 campaigns of 2023. Bravo too missed out on selection to the West Indies One Day international team that played England late last year and then declined to travel to Australia with the Test team. He also announced that he was taking a break from the sport.
However, bringing in a batsman with the calibre of Leonardo Julien is something any coach would be pleased about. Tion Webster who has been in good form in the last 12 months will shoulder a lot.
Skipper Mohan and Tion Webster, together with Amir Jangoo will do much of the batting that includes Dejourn Charles and Joshua James, two batsmen who can turn a game on its head at a moment’s notice.
Sion Hackett will have to take up the responsibility to partner Tion Webster as the main pace threat alongside Philton Williams, but they have the support of out-of-favour West Indies left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, whose experience will have to show.
The annual North South Classic provided the players who are in line for national selection, one last opportunity to address the selectors in what will be a longer West Indies First-Class season with Combined Colleges and Campuses and West Indies Academy joining the tournament to extend the season by two additional rounds.
The first ball at the NCC is 10 a.m.
Teams:
NORTH
Vikash Mohan (c), Tion Webster, Andrew Rambaran, Amir Jangoo, Khary Pierre, Sion Hackett, Dejourn Charles, Isaiah Rajah, Joshua James, Camillo Carimbocas, Anderson Mahase, Philton Williams, Eric Garcia and Leonardo Julien.
SOUTH
Imran Khan (c ), Bryan Charles (vc), Kamil Pooran, Kjorn Ottley, Cephas Cooper, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Shatrughan Rambaran, Daniel Williams, Justin Manick, Anderson Phillip, Shaaron Lewis, Damion Joachim and Narad Kyle Kissoondath