One-dayers to pick Bowl team

The Trinidad and Tobago cricket officials are awaiting the availability of West Indies captain Brian Lara and his compatriots on the West Indies team before scheduling a three-match one day series between North and South to pick the Red Stripe Bowl squad. Omar Khan, who will manage the team during the regional tournament in Jamaica, from October said yesterday that no trial matches will be held as in the past. “In my manager’s report to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), I noted that the better way to go was to host a three-match series between North and South and then choose 16 players from that series to undergo preparation for the series,” Khan said. The PowerGen Communi-cations Manager said the three-match series will be  very competitive and the TTCB are at this time negotiating with a sponsor.

“What the Board intend to do is to make the series a very competitive one and form it along the lines of the annual Gerry Gomez/Pizza Hut North/South Classic,” Khan said. “At the moment we are waiting to find out when the Test players like Brian Lara will be ready before we arrange the dates for the matches. We will really like to have the Test players Lara, Dillon and Ganga involved in the series of matches. This could be held annually and from this tournament a cadre of players can be chosen to prepare for the Red Stripe Bowl,” he said. The three-match North/South clash will be shared between the National Cricket Centre, Balmain and the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. “At the moment I am involved in talks with Roger Henderson, manager at the Oval, to see if we can get the venue to host one or two matches,” Khan said. The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) at the moment are awaiting word from former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons on whether he will be available to coach the team. Former national all-rounder Roland Sampath is on standby if he is unavailable. The national team will be grouped in Jamaica and will leave at the end of September for the series.