Weather holds key to crucial one-dayers

INCLEMENT weather threatens to rob Trinidad and Tobago cricketers of their last chance to fine-tune their preparation for the upcoming regional one-day tournament in Guyana. Heavy rain yesterday forced organisers to cancel today’s play against the visiting Windward Islands.  Action will now be tomorrow and Sunday at the National Cricket Centre Ground in Balmain, Couva, weather permitting. Both teams are short of  match practice as TT preparations have been badly disrupted by seasonal showers while Hurricane Ivan reportedly severely damaged cricket facilities in the Windward Islands, especially Grenada hampering their build-up.

Both sides are anxious to take to the field and engage in serious play, just one week before the tournament bowls off in Guyana. “It  is an ideal opportunity to see the strength of the Trinidad and Tobago players on the actual field. We welcome the opportunity to get some practice for the regional team competition,” said Dudnath Ramkeesoon, chairman of the national selectors yesterday. He said a squad of players have been in training since July for the tournament but their  match practice have been seriously hampered by the seasonal rains. Added to this, injury to several key players has been a cause of concern to team management who have been forced to draft in reserve players for the regional competition.

Ramkeesoon confirmed yesterday that star batsman and West Indies captain Brian Lara and veteran fast bowler Mervyn Dillon have been advised by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s medical adviser Dr Terry Ali to give their injuries more time to heal, and will miss the entire one-day competition. “We got the doctor’s report and have communicated the advice they received to the West Indies Cricket Board. Both Lara and Dillon have been seeking treatment for their niggling injuries but have been advised to rest,” said Ramkeesoon. Lara was hit a painful blow in the neck by a bouncer from Shoaib Akhtar in the recent ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Pakistan, while Dillon strained his side after a five-wicket haul in a preliminary round match against Bangladesh. West Indies went on to win the ICC Champions Trophy, dubbed the mini-World Cup, but Dillon took no further part in the competition.

Ramkeesoon said yesterday any team losing the services of both players, international stars with valuable experience is always significant but will give two other players a chance to showcase their talent. “We hope they could step up their game and bring about their best by pulling their weight for the benefit of the team,” he said. Also on the injured list is solid middle-order batsman Shazam Babwah who hurt his groin and hobbled off the field last Saturday in a practice match at Balmain. Also leaving the field was offspinner Rodney Sooklal who was taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray but the news for him was good yesterday as he was named in a 15-man squad to play against the Windwards. One player will be dropped from this line-up as 14 will make up the squad for the one-day tournament in Guyana to be named after Sunday’s match against the Windwards.

The team will be led by Test opening batsman Daren Ganga and include his younger brother Sherwin, the in-form batsman on the side; Dwayne Bravo and Ricardo Powell, two members of the victorious West Indies team at the Champions Trophy tournament. Also included are allrounder Imran Jan, batsmen Lendl Simmons, Gregory Mahabir, wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin and young Jonathan Augustus. The fast bowling department is manned by several players who lack experience at regional First Class level but who would be counted on to spearhead the attack in the absence of Dillon.
Among them are Reyad Emrit, Richard Kelly, Theodore Modeste and Atiba Alert. The Windward Islands players were scheduled to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. Both matches today and Sunday are scheduled to begin at 9.30 am at the National Cricket Centre Ground in Balmain, Couva.

Squad: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO:  Daren Ganga (capt), Sherwin Ganga, Imran Jan, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Reyad Emrit, Rodney Sooklal, Gregory Mahabir, Atiba Alert, Lendl Simmons, Ricardo Powell, Dinesh Ramdin, Richard Kelly, Theodore Modeste, Jonathan Augustus.