Only best will play for TT says St Clair

With three matches left in the semi-final round of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers for Trinidad and Tobago, coach Bertille St Clair says he will maintain his policy of including any player with a TT passport once he can add something to the team. St Clair will conduct training as usual at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo tomorrow  with a squad of locally-based professionals. But he said he will have nothing to do with arguments about the local versus overseas pros. Players from either end must earn their selection on merit he said.

“I have also said that anyone with a TT passport is eligible for selection and I will maintain that policy. The argument about overseas players versus local players  does not make sense,” St Clair said. “When I started the job Cornell Glen, Kenwyne Jones and Kelvin Jack were all locally-based. Should I drop them because they get an overseas contract? Young Silvio Spann and others may be going overseas soon. Should we drop them when they become overseas players?

If  you  start today with a locally-based squad and by next year all of them are overseas-based, what do you do? Start all over again?” St Clair asked. The Tobago-born coach said adjustments will be made to the team and even their style of play following the 3-1 defeat to Mexico. TT prepare for their next qualifier against St Kitts/Nevis at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, on Sunday October 10.