Omitted Red Force players to turn focus towards four-day tourney

PLAYERS who did not make the 15-man TT Red Force squad for the CG Insurance Super50 Cup, which will take place in Antigua/Barbuda from February 7-27, will turn their focus towards preparation for the Regional Four-Day competition, which is set to bowl off in April.

So said TT Red Force coach David Furlonge in an interview on Monday.

Among the young crop players who did not make the cut for the Super50 were Jyd Goolie, Tion Webster, Mark Deyal and Isaiah Rajah.

Instead, the selection panel, led by Rajendra Mangalie, have opted for experience, with past and present West Indies players Kieron Pollard (captain), Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran and Imran Khan included in this year’s Super50 squad.

Asked about the players who were omitted from the Super50 team, Furlonge replied, “When I came into the position (as coach), I gave the (TT) Cricket Board an itinerary up until the end of May. We have told the players already what is going to happen.

“The selectors will call some additional players and they’re going to play at least three three-day trial games in February,” continued Furlonge.

“When they don’t have practice matches, they will have training.”

According to the Red Force coach, after the Super50 Cup, some Red Force players will join their counterparts to play a few four-day practice matches in March.

With regards to the Super50 team, which was announced by the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) on Friday, Furlonge said, “I think it’s a good team that has been selected. We still have a good mix of youth and experience. The average age of the team is 30 years. It’s a mature team and I think the team will do well.”

The Red Force, who last copped the title in 2016, were beaten semi-finalists at home in the 2019 edition (the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the covid19 pandemic).

“We had a similar team in 2018 and we lost (in) the semi-final (to eventual winners Combined Campuses and Colleges),” said Furlonge. “This is a similar sort of team that has to remain focused, build and jell together as a unit. It will improve our chances of winning the tournament.”

Pooran has returned home from his stint in the Big Bash League in Australia, but he will be joining skipper Pollard, as well as Narine, Lewis, Rampaul and Simmons at the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, which will take place from January 28 to February 6.

Furlonge said that the players have been granted permission to leave for the United Arab Emirates by both the TTCB and Cricket West Indies.

Will that hamper the Red Force preparations or are the players able to adapt to suit? Furlonge replied, “The players who are going are all professional players. They’re going abroad to play cricket and they’ll know what they have to do when they get back.

“We have some time when they get back to be together, and I think that the bubble situation that we’ll be in, the quarantine situation, that will augur well for building a team bond.”

Concerning the Red Force team plans between now and when they leave for Antigua, the Red Force coach said, “We’ll practice this week, (at the National Cricket Centre, Couva on) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The plans are fluid because we’re awaiting word from (Cricket) West Indies on what is happening, in terms of quarantine status.

“I know they’ve asked that when they do the covid test, that we not mix with family (etcetera). It’s something that we’ll waiting on. We have a meeting with (CWI on Tuesday) so we’ll know finally what is happening in terms of going forward.”