Lara fails to show at training session

West Indies bowler Mervyn Dillon and triumphant Trinidad and Tobago’s senior captain Daren Ganga were among 23 players who participated in a physical fitness session yesterday. The session was conducted by trainer Gerard Garcia and coach David Williams at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva. The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board last week summoned 31 players to prepare for the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board senior First-Class competition. West Indies captain Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Dillon, Ravi Rampaul, Dave Mohammed and Lendl Simmons missed the recent regional  President’s Cup limited overs competition with Trinidad and Tobago won. They are among the squad called up to get themselves ready for the upcoming season.

However, Lara, Bravo, Ramphal, Ricardo Powell, Amit Jaggernauth, Imran Khan and William Perkins and Kenton Thompson did not show up for their first physical fitness assessment. Lara enjoyed the much needed rest from strenuous international competitions while exciting allrounder Bravo injured himself in a charity match in Barbados and which forced him out of the President’s Cup. National Under-19 opener Perkins is overseas while Thompson was unable to join the squad because of his job. He called to inform the officials of his predicament. Talented opener Sherwin Ganga and Dinesh Ramdin, who both received special awards at the conclusion of the history-making President’s Cup final in Barbados, were actively involved yesterday.

Ganga emerged as the top allrounder and won the “Best Batsman” and “Best Bowler” prizes while Ramdin copped the “Best Wicketkeeper” award. Dillon was injured during the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in England and would be keen to prove his fitness and form during the three-week camp organised by the West Indies Cricket Board. The players involved in yesterday’s three-hour session which started at 3 pm were Daren Ganga (captain), Sherwin Ganga, Dinesh Ramdin, Mervyn Dillon, Tishan Maraj, Gregory Mahabir, Shazam Babwah, Lendl Simmons, Aneil Kanhai, Richard Kelly, Samuel Badree, Gibran Mohammed, Reyad Emrit, Rodney Sooklal, Dave Mohammed, Jonathan Augustus, Earnil Ryan, Avalon Cuffy, Rishi Bachan, Samuel Felix and Kyron Lynch. Senior selector Roland Sampath was also present yesterday. Sessions will continue today and tomorrow at 3 pm and will start at 8.30 am on Saturday and Sunday.