Manager says cricket preparation not ideal

West Indies batsman Daren Ganga has been granted time off from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) “Self Enhancement Programme” to lead the XS team against White Oak XI at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) today from 9.30 am. The series originally carded as a four-match encounter was reduced to three matches after rain washed out the first two fixtures last weekend.

It has now been reduced further to a two-match affair after rain washed out half of the last match on Thursday. Today’s clash will be followed by the final encounter tomorrow. The national team to play in the regional limited overs series in Guyana next month will then be chosen. Ganga will be joined for the match by Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, Dave Mohammed and Sherwin Ganga, all of whom were involved in the WIPA programme. Manager of the Trinidad and Tobago team Omar Khan said yesterday that he has received a report of the weather forecast  and it is unlikely that they will be able to get in two completed matches this weekend.
 
“At present with the information I have, things are not looking too good for the weekend and if the games are badly affected, the selectors will find themselves in a very difficult situation,” he said. “Looking at the situation at present, the team already have four players who is on tour with the West Indies team in Brian Lara, Mervyn Dillon, Dwayne Bravo and Ricardo Powell. Once fit they are automatic choices, so the selectors led by Dudnath Ramkessoon are really looking out for 10 players who will make up the squad of 14,” Khan said. “So far they have done a lot of classroom work and it is essential to get them out in the middle so that they can practise what they have learnt in the classroom. The on-field matches are important in their preparation for the series and at present the preparation is not ideal,” he said.

TEAMS:
XS: Daren Ganga (capt), Imran Jan, William Perkins, Lendl Simmons, Gregory Mahabir, Jonathan Augustus, Denesh Ramdin, Rayad Emrit, Amit Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Lynch and Sean Siloch, coach/manager — Dasrath Maharaj.
White Oak XI: Shazam Babwah (capt), Tishan Maraj, Sherwin Ganga, Imran Khan, Kenton Thompson, Samuel Badree, Gibran Mohammed, Richard Kelly, Rodney Sooklal, Brent Harriot, Samuel Felix, Atiba Alert and Earnil Ryan, coach/manager —  David Williams.