Webster looking to justify TKR selection

TION Webster is one of the many TT cricketers who has been given opportunities to excel at the regional level.

Hopefully, this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) can prove crucial to Webster’s immediate career, as he looks to repay the faith of the Trinbago Knight Riders’ think-tank, especially in the T20 format.

The 24-year-old Webster, who plays for Queen’s Park Cricket Club at the domestic level, was part of the Barbados Tridents team for the 2017 and 2018 CPL editions.

The right-handed batsman and part-time off-spinner had two appearances for the Tridents in 2017 – he scored 34 runs with a top-score of 32.

His returns last year were more modest, as he only compiled 17 runs in two matches.

Webster may find it tough to get into the final XI right away, as the TKR team feature an array of established and hard-hitting batsmen, including captain Dwayne Bravo, his brother Darren, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Amir Jangoo and the New Zealand pair of Colin Munro and James Neesham.

With Munro missing the first three matches due to international duties, and Narine yet to convince in the top order, there is some consideration for using Webster to open the batting.

During the University of the West Indies (UWI) 2019 T20 tournament in January, at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground in St Augustine, Webster was adjudged as Most Valuable Player (MVP). He topped the batting aggregate with 310 runs in four innings, at an average of 155, including an unbeaten knock of 109 as Queen’s Park defeated El Socorro Youth Movement (EYM) by 137 runs in the final.

Webster will be aware that he will have to take his chances when they present themselves this season, as the TKR seek to earn a three-peat of CPL crowns.