Bassarath, Jumadeen silent on selection faux pas

JELANI BECKLES

PRESIDENT of the TT Cricket Board Azim Bassarath and chairman of selectors Raphick Jumadeen could not be reached for comment yesterday, concerning the lack of effective communication between selectors and national players.

Repeated calls to both Bassarath and Jumadeen were not answered.

Newsday reported on Thursday there was a mix-up in communication between national player Jeremy Solozano, the selectors and the TTCB, which led to the left-handed batsman disappointed after unknowingly being omitted as a replacement player for the Regional Super50.

Solozano was on his way to Couva to collect his uniform on Tuesday from the TTCB, but was told by TTCB Cricket Operations Officer Dudnath Ramkessoon he was no longer selected.

Solozano told Newsday, “Last week, Dudnath Ramkessoon called me to collect my uniform. On Tuesday morning, I called to inform him that I was on my way to collect it then he told me I was no longer on the team.”

Solozano said he later received a call from Jumadeen. “A few hours later, I received a call from the chairman of selectors Raphick Jumadeen saying that I have been replaced but to keep working hard.”

Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed and Sheldon Cottrell will leave the Red Force squad tomorrow to begin preparations with West Indies for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March.

Solozano, along with Rayad Emrit and Lendl Simmons were originally supposed to replace the West Indies trio but the selectors decided to go with Emrit, Jon Russ Jagessar and Kamil Pooran instead. However, no one informed the 22 year old Solozano of that decision.

Simmons was replaced because he was drafted to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which bowls off on February 22. The situation involving Solozano is not the first time a lack of effective communication came into question.

Prior to the start of the Super50 tournament, there was a mix-up in communication between Darren Bravo and the TT selectors which led to Bravo being left out of the Super50 squad.

Jumadeen said he was not contacted by Bravo and therefore was not considered for the team. Bravo, however, said he was willing to make his return to the Red Force which included playing in the Regional Super50 tournament. Bravo said he had a conversation with Red Force coach Kelvin Williams, saying he was available for the first eight matches of the Super50 before going to the PSL.

Bravo said Williams told him that a squad was selected and he would speak with Jumadeen and get back to him.

The Red Force are currently competing in the Super50 without Bravo.

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