Logie, Ottley hail Red Force depth

After scoring 70 to lead TT to a 100-run lead on first innings, Mohammed left Trinidad halfway through the match against the Windwards Islands to head to Zimbabwe.

Mohammed was called up to the West Indies 50-over team for the Tri-Nation series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka as a replacement for Darren Bravo.

TT wrapped up a convincing nine-wicket win over the Windwards on Sunday night in round one at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Ottley said, “we have good depth in our squad this year so that’s really good; a good balanced squad so whoever replaces Mohammed would be a good replacement for us.” Logie admitted that Mohammed will be a huge loss but he believes in the young players. Logie said, “It is a big blow. I think Jason is coming back to the kind of form we know he can produce, he is experienced so obviously he leaves a hole but I back the young players in the setup.” Former West Indies Under-19 player Jyd Goolie replaced Mohammed in the Windwards match and Logie is hopeful Goolie will get another chance in the next match. “Young Jyd Goolie got the opportunity although it was sort of an indifferent debut but hopefully he gets an opportunity in the next match against the Barbadians and he shows what he is worth. He did perform well in our trials, he is fit and he is a young player for the future.” Logie also has high hopes for Red Force opener Jeremy Solozano, who is also a former West Indies U-19 player. Solozano scored only nine and 19 against the Windwards but occupied the crease for a long time, combining in two solid partnerships with fellow opener Kyle Hope. Solozano and Hope’s opening partnership was 48 in the first innings followed by 61 in the second innings.

“We know he (Solozano) is capable and we want him to relax and play his own game. He has been giving us the kind of starts together with Kyle (Hope). He just needs to be himself, not put himself under any kind of pressure because he is a young player for the future.

I think he himself has been very disciplined throughout this whole season. The kind of work that these youngsters have been putting in they deserve some kind of success and we are going to back him.” The Red Force will face Barbados Pride at the Queen’s Park Oval in round two starting on Friday at 10 am.