Selection headache for Trinidad and Tobago coach Emrit ahead of T20 Breakout League

TT Legions head coach Rayad Emrit is experiencing a selection dilemma as his 14-member team looks ahead to their first game in the inaugural West Indies T20 Breakout League, which will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Tarouba, from April 25-May 10.

From 2 pm on April 25, Guyana Rainforest Rangers will play the Windward Islands Infernos in the first match of the tourney, with TT tackling Barbados Pelicans from 7 pm in the second match of a double-header.

The TT team will be led by West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman and Red Force captain Joshua Da Silva, with fellow wicket-keeper/batsman Amir Jangoo serving as vice-captain. Emrit said the team is a well-balanced one and believes they have the right mix of players to make a meaningful run in the competition. With four pacers in the team, to go along with allrounders such as Navin Bidaisee, Joshua James and 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) winner Mikkel Govia, Emrit does have a task on his hand to get the blend right for the team’s first match.

“It’s definitely a headache (to pick the best team), but it’s a good headache to have. We can pick any of the 14 players and it will be our best XI. We’re definitely going to pick horses for courses,” Emrit told Newsday on April 23.

“We’re playing against a very good Barbados team on (April 25) and I think we will have to play what we believe is our best XI for that game.”

The Barbados team includes aggressive top-order batsmen Kadeem Alleyne and Shaqkere Parris, who have both turned out for CPL franchise Trinbago Knight Riders in the past, as well as promising left-arm seamer Ramon Simmonds and allrounders Joshua Bishop and Nyeem Young. The Legions team had practice matches on April 20 and 22, and Emrit reckons a two-day, team-building camp at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva has put the team in the correct frame of mind.

“The batsmen look really good and I’m expecting our batsmen to go out there and do well. We have room for improvement in (our bowling department), but I still think we have the experience and the quality of our spinners (to take us through).

“We know how the BLCA can play, so I think the selection of the team is based on the weather conditions and the overall experience of the conditions at the venue.”

Earlier this month, Emrit’s Red Force unit slipped to third spot on the final 2025 West Indies Four-Day Championship table after drawing their final round match with eventual champs Guyana Harpy Eagles. And while Emrit said the thought of revenge or redemption has crossed his mind, the focus is on playing quality cricket which will ultimately reap rewards.

“My thing has always been positive cricket. I like attacking cricket. I’ve asked the guys to go out there and be positive,” he said.

“Just like the four-day (tournament), it’s about being positive and not reckless. It’s about the players showing what they’re capable of. I’m looking forward to exciting cricket from the guys.

“Obviously, our main goal is to win the tournament, but there’s a process and you have to trust the process and be smart about it. I can say be positive and they go out there and go all hell for leather.”

Da Silva, who has 33 Test matches to his name, has indicated that this tournament gives a platform for him and other players to raise their value in the T20 game. Emrit concurred.

“It’s a very good opportunity for (the players) to address not just West Indies selectors, but franchise teams around the world as well. CPL is coming up and I’m sure some of these guys are eyeing selection into some of these teams for 2025,” the TT coach said.

“We know this is the future of West Indies cricket so we’re excited to see what they bring and what’s in store.

“You know West Indians like the shorter version (of the game), so we hope they can see the best of the youngsters in this tournament.”

The tourney will be contested via single round-robin format, with the first-placed team going straight to the final. The second and third-placed teams will meet in a playoff match on May 9 for the other spot in the final. The final will be held on May 10.

Players eligible to participate in the tourney must be under 30. Each team was given the opportunity to draft three players between ages 27-29, with TT utilising that criteria to select Jangoo and the top-order pair of Jyd Goolie and Kamil Pooran. All other players selected are 26 or younger. Tournament rules stipulate that players must have participated in fewer than 40 “List A” T20 matches and fewer than ten T20 internationals.

Full TT Legions squad: Joshua Da Silva (captain), Amir Jangoo (vice-captain), Navin Bidaisee, McKenny Clarke, Cephas Cooper, Jyd Goolie, Mikkel Govia, Joshua James, Damion Joachim, Johann Layne, Shaaron Lewis, Kamil Pooran, Abdul-Raheem Toppin, Crystian Thurton.

T20 Breakout Teams: Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, TT Legions, Windward Islands Infernos.