Tobagonian Joshua James elated with maiden Red Force Super50 call-up

TOBAGO all-rounder Joshua James, 23, received his maiden TT Red Force call-up for the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup, which bowls off at Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, UWI-SPEC, St Augustine on October 29.

James was selected in a 14-man squad, led by experienced wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, as they seek to defend their 2023 title.

TT's title-winning team last year was led by Darren Bravo, the tournament-leading scorer (416 runs).

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre was named vice-captain while veteran all-rounder Jason Mohammed was also included.

Mark Deyal, who was selected to represent Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) during the 2024 Caribbean Premier League T20 but did not play owing to injury, was also picked.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Amir Jangoo, fast bowlers Anderson Phillip, Terrance Hinds and Tion Webster are also in the team alongside batsmen Jyd Goolie, Isaiah Rajah, Kjorn Ottley, and spinners Yannic Cariah and Bryan Charles.

David Furlonge, who coached them to victory in 2023, remains at the helm.

Red Force begin their Super50 Cup title defence against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) on the opening day in St Augustine.

James, who made his regional debut with the Windies Academy in 2022, was pleased to receive his maiden national call-up.

“It was always a dream to gain senior team selection,” he said.

“It’s always a great feeling when you could represent your country. For me, this is something that I’ve always wanted and hope that I could use this opportunity to make things better for me in the future.”

James hails from Whim in Tobago and plays for Penal-based Clarke Road United domestically. He played sparingly in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, but had the distinction of dismissing Trinbago Knight Riders star Nicholas Pooran in a win at the Queen's Park Oval.

Though he favours batting, James considers himself an all-rounder with his medium pace and middle- to lower-order batting.

He wants to be an integral part of the Red Force this season and believes this is his opportunity to show the world what he can do at an elite level.

“I played all the age groups coming up, and the next step was to move on to the senior team. I’m really happy for this opportunity. I always like to keep it simple. I just like to do what I’m accustomed doing, and just try to do it to the best of my ability.”

He credited Clarke Road coach Mukesh Persad, a former TT player, for helping him maintain top form over the past season. James hopes this selection is another step towards representing the West Indies.

“This selection is a step in the right direction. I like white-ball cricket but I would not mind playing all formats of cricket,” he added.

TT team for CG United Super50 Cup: Joshua Da Silva (captain), Khary Pierre (vice captain), Amir Jangoo, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Tion Webster, Bryan Charles, Kjorn Ottley, Isaiah Rajah, Terrance Hinds, Anderson Phillip, Yannic Cariah, Mark Deyal, Joshua James; David Furlonge (coach).