No trials for TT one-day cricketers

THERE will be no trial matches to select the Trinidad and Tobago team for this year’s senior regional limited-overs cricket series. The tournament to be played in October will be under a new name and sponsor, as Red Stripe Brewery the Jamaican Beer giants have opted out of sponsorship of  the series after six years. Trinidad and Tobago have never won the Red Stripe Bowl title, with their last regional championship coming in 1997, when they repeated as champs after also winning the previous season.

Since then Trinidad and Tobago have reached the semi-finals on two occasions but failed to advance further. Local cricket officials have tried numerous options available to stem the rot but it has all been in vain. On the recommendation of team manager Omar Khan, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board  have decided to scrap all trial matches and pick a squad coming out of the Carib National League. This team will go into intensive training ahead of the series and will play a number of warm-up games against top local sides. Funds allowing, a pre-tournament tour is planned in order to get the team ready for the series. National senior selectors will meet very soon to finalise the squad which will assemble at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva, on weekends for cricket camps.

Meanwhile, the Junior national selection panel are expected to meet this week to choose the Under-19 squad to begin preparation for the regional Under-19 series. Only a week ago, the TTCB re-appointed the successful manager-coach combination of Roland Sampath and Anthony Gray to be in  charge of the team. Trinidad and Tobago will be defending both the league and limited-overs titles.