Furlonge: Red Force can go the distance in Super50

TT RED Force coach and chairman of selectors is confident that the squad selected can successfully defend the Cricket West Indies CG United Regional Super50 Cup which they won last year.

“Our objective is to win the tournament,” Furlonge said in a TT Cricket Board (TTCB) media release on Monday.

“We believe that we have a good blend of experience and youth that can go all the way and our focus will be on performing to achieve that objective.”

The 18-member squad will be captained by West Indies T20 and 50-Over captain Nicholas Pooran, who along with his West Indies colleagues, recently returned from the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

Also back home after the Caribbean cricketers failed to advance out of the qualifying round are left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, all-rounder Yannic Cariah and hard-hitting opening batsman Evin Lewis, who is nursing an injury and his fitness is to be evaluated.

Also included and is certain to boost the Red Force is experienced off-spinner Sunil Narine, Test wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva and leg-spinner Imran Khan, with 400 regional wickets to his name and who captained the national team in this year’s Regional Four-Day tournament.

Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin are not in the Red Force squad. They all retired from international cricket this year.

Furlonge was handed the added responsibility of chief selector by the TTCB recently and heads a panel which includes former national players Deonarine Deyal and Gibran Mohammed, and Frank Simmons.

Furlonge said preparation of the Red Force squad has not been ideal as rain has curtailed almost all outdoor training and practice sessions, but is optimistic that the weather will improve to allow some competitive cricket before the tournament begins.

The TTCB has expressed their satisfaction with all arrangements made for the team’s training and practice at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) despite the fact that only one of two matches planned was possible.

“We applaud the efforts made by Mr Haresh Ragoonath at the BLCA who ensured that although the weather interrupted the squad’s schedule, everything else was in place and met the standards required,” said TTCB president Azim Bassarath.

Bassarath said he got important feedback from the technical staff and players who were impressed with the pristine condition of the outfield and wicket as the ground staff paid care and attention despite rain.

Trinidad will host Zone A of the Super50 tournament featuring the Windward Islands Volcanoes, Guyana Harpy Eagles and Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) from October 29-November 19.

Zone B will feature hosts the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Barbados Pride, Jamaica Scorpions and the West Indies Academy.

The opening match on October 29 will see Hurricanes facing the West Indies Academy at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

Red Force will open their campaign on October 31 when they take on 2020 champions CCC at the BLCA in a day-night encounter.

RED FORCE SQUAD: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Jeremy Solozano, Sunil Narine, Kjorn Ottley, Jason Mohammed, Darren Bravo, Joshua Da Silva, Jyd Goolie, Imran Khan, Khary Pierre, Terrance Hinds, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales, Shannon Gabriel, Mark Deyal, Yannic Cariah, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis; David Furlonge (coach/chief selector), Sebastian Edwards (manager), Jason Pilgrim (physiotherapist), Clinton Jeremiah (trainer), Amrit Jadoo (analyst).