Red Force coach ‘embarrassed’ to finish last

National coach Kelvin Williams, right, looks on as pacer Daniel St Clair, left, bowls during a training session.
National coach Kelvin Williams, right, looks on as pacer Daniel St Clair, left, bowls during a training session.

Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Kelvin Williams said finishing last in the recently concluded Digicel Regional Four-Day tournament was embarrassing, but is hoping for a change in fortune as the team gets ready to compete in the Super50 Cricket Festival which bowls off on January 30.

The Red Force started the four-day season positively, but went on a poor run of form to finish last in the six-team standings with two wins, five losses and three draws from 10 matches.

Williams said it is difficult to describe his thoughts on such a disappointing season. “Words cannot describe what are my feelings about this season, finishing last, it is an embarrassment but therefore it is a learning process where those players are concerned,” he said.

The Red Force batting struggled throughout the four-day tournament with captain Denesh Ramdin being the only consistent batsman throughout the tournament.

Williams, asked if a batting coach will help the team’s scoring problems, said having a batting coach may not be the best idea during the season as it can affect the player mentally.

“I think a batting coach during a tournament perhaps would not work, but if you have them at the end of the tournament they could do remedial work...If you have a batting coach in a tournament, perhaps it could interfere with people’s mental aspect.”

Asked to grade himself as coach for the four-day season, Williams said, “If you finish last there is really no grading there at the end of the day.”

He also acknowledged that scrutiny will be on him as head coach with the team failing badly in his first season since taking over for the second time.

“ I would not be able to answer you (whether my job is in danger), but I am going to Barbados with the Super50 team. Any coach should expect to be dismissed in a position where you finish like that,” he said.

Despite the Red Force having a season to forget, Williams said the experienced duo of Ramdin and leg spinner Imran Khan had excellent performances. “The captain (Ramdin) came back and played a full season and ended up with the most amount of runs for us. Imran Khan continues to do well at regional level.” Williams also said pacer Daniel St Clair, off-spinner Bryan Charles and batsman Amir Jangoo were some of the youngsters who showed some potential.

Looking ahead to the Super50 tournament in Barbados and Antigua, Williams said, “We have been doing well the last couple seasons...expectations are there, it is a tournament which we normally do well, so I expect we could continue to do well in that. I know the supporters would not welcome anything else than a win.”

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