TT coach, trainer to use CPL as stepping stone

CRICKET Australia Level III high-performance coach Bhoodesh Dookie and certified strength and conditioning trainer Ian Sookhai have welcomed their involvement with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament.

The pair are the only TT nationals appointed to Patriots’ team staff for this year’s CPL edition. Both cricket enthusiasts relish this opportunity to elevate their respective career disciplines at the annual tournament and credited team captain Rayad Emrit for his worthy recommendation.

Fifty-two-year-old Dookie has a rich background in domestic cricket having played for the national youth team, Merryboys and Harvard Cricket Club during his younger years.

Since his exit as a player, Dookie began pursuing certified coaching as is now one of the most accomplished coaches in the region. He has lent his experience at Merryboys, Cane Farm Sports, Queen’s Park Cricket Club for a year and returned to Merryboys for the 2020 season.

Dookie had also applied for the national coaching job, previously held by Mervyn Dillon. The appointment of a new coach, however, has been put on hold since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He currently serves as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots assistant coach and works particularly with the side-arm throw cricket trainer.

Throughout the 2019 CPL season, Dookie was invited by the franchise team captain Emrit to assist the squad during several training stints at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair.

“Rayad told me to come and gain some experience with them, observe what they were doing and assist when needed. When the captain asked me if I was interested in continuing, I sent my resume to the relevant authorities, went through the process and was selected (for 2020).

“It’s a very good experience and serves as a stepping stone for me in the direction I want to go. I’ve coached at Premiership Division I and II clubs in the country. I’ve done international work with Cricket Australia but this is something I always wanted to be involved in, a professional league,” said an elated Dookie.

The certified coach is presently housed with his teammates at the bio-secure Hilton Hotel. Since his arrival there, he has already been tested twice for covid19, returning negative results on both occasions.

Although the team has been restricted to mostly indoor training sessions due to recent inclement weather, Dookie and Sookhai have been making the most of their time working with these top-class cricketers.

“This is one innovative way to develop the locals (coaches/administrators) so they can get some international experience.

“It’s a good base for us and it’s what we need. With the other coaches like Courtney Walsh and Stuart Williams around, I can only go from strength to strength. Being around team players, seasoned campaigners like Emrit, Lewis, Ramdin, Chris Lynn and Ben Dunk, I can learn a lot,” he added.

Meanwhile Sookhai, who only plays cricket as a hobby, is also a master of his physical craft. A certified fitness, strength and conditioning trainer, the 32-year old has already had two (2017 and 2019) stints at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as a team trainer.

Similarly, Sookhai admitted several outdoors sessions had been postponed due to persistent rainfall. However, he has been able to get some much-needed time in with the squad to enhance their physical preparation.

“The sessions have been good so far. The guys are now getting back in form after months of not much activity causing tense muscles. Rain has hampered our training so we’ve been doing more indoor workouts. With this team, you have to conduct warm-up drills, so it’s a blend with gym and cricket drills,” he stated.

Sookahi usually trains Red Force players Emrit, Sunil Narine and Khary Pierre among others at the gym during the off-season. During his tenure in Bangladesh last year, Emrit vouched for his services with the Patriots.

Like Dookie, the physical trainer underwent due process and was eventually appointed the team’s physical trainer for the 2020 CPL. From BPL to CPL, Sookhai is intent on projecting his career one step further by hopefully securing a place at the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I have a good relationship with the local player and some of our IPL representatives plan to put in a good word for me for the next tournament so we’ll see how that goes. As it stands, I remain committed to serving the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots this year and I must acknowledge the franchise owners and Emrit for this opportunity they have given to me,” he concluded.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots bowled off their campaign on Tuesday against reigning CPL champions Barbados Tridents at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and return to competition on Wednesday against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.