TTCB: Golden chance for Lewis

Lewis, 24, was drafted into the West Indies squad after fellow Trinidadian Lendl Simmons was forced to pull out because of a back injury.

Simmons was the fourth Red Force cricketer to make himself unavailable for regional selection on the T20 team. Yesterday, president of the TT CB Azim Bassarath said he had high hopes for Lewis, an explosive opening batsman who is the most exciting cricketer on the national team whose audacious stroke-play can play a crucial role if West Indies are to reclaim the ICC T20 Trophy following their 2012 triumph four years ago in Sri Lanka.

“Evin has all the qualities to set the cricket world alight in India over the coming weeks. He is an exceptionally talented batsman who will not be overawed playing against more recognised cricketers at the World T20. We look forward to him leading the charge once selected in the final eleven,” said Bassarath.

The TT CB boss said that he met earlier this week with Lewis and assured him that the cricket board and all patriotic fans were overjoyed to learn of him being picked since the opportunity could not have come to a more deserving player.

Bassarath said that with the world watching on, Lewis will have a golden opportunity to showcase his immense talent which will open up doors for him to play cricket all over the world, enhance his reputation and fatten his pocket,” said Bassarath.

Lewis burst into the international spotlight late last year by being the only centurion of the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League T20 when the subcontinent first got a glimpse of his fearless shot-making capabilities.

He followed up his prolific form with a century in the victorious 2016 Nagico Super50 campaign in January at Shaw Park in Tobago, and rounded off his collection with a disclipined hundred for the Red Force in the ongoing Regional 4-Day Tournament.

“In the space of a few months Evin has showed that he has the temperament to make big scores in the three formats of the game and we know that he can extend his good form in the coming weeks which will bode well for the West Indies fortunes,” said Bassarath