Coach Emrit: Players looking in must pressure Red Force starters

TT Red Force coach Rayad Emrit is calling on players to make their name in the upcoming local club cricket season, as there are still spots to be filled on the national team for the West Indies Four-Day Championships, starting in April.

Trinidad and Tobago ended the 2025 tournament in third position, behind Barbados Pride and champions Guyana Harpy Eagles.

Players such as Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Joshua Da Silva and Khary Pierre are a few of the seasoned campaigners in the squad who can lead from the front.

However, Emrit wants quality players from top to bottom so the team can make some noise this campaign.

“It is very important that your backup players are as good as your players on the field,” Emrit said. “If your reserves are very strong, then it puts a lot of pressure on the playing XI. It is good to have that headache. It is good to have that depth in your team.”

With the four-day competition now shortened and bowling off later this year, cricketers on the outside looking in will have ample time to impress Emrit and the TT selection panel.

The National League competition is expected to begin in the coming weeks and club cricketers will be aiming for strong performances.

“There are always spots available. We want to give guys opportunities who are doing well,” said Emrit. Highlighting a few players knocking on the door for selection, Emrit said, “Shatrughan (Rambaran) for one, he was rewarded being selected on the national team. He did not play in the Super50 (last year), but at least he was there (in the squad). Young (Abdul-Raheem) Toppin, who was another one who was around the team...we also have young (Aadian) Racha, who is with the (West Indies) Under-19 team...and Brendan Boodoo, who was a part of the West Indies Under-19 squad. There is a lot of room as long as players do well.”

Emrit said you can’t expect to average below 30 in club cricket and succeed at regional level.

“We are not going to settle for mediocrity and I have that message throughout and the guys know. We are not going to pick guys who are averaging 20 and 25 in club cricket to represent the national team. It is not going to work like that. As long as you put in the work and we get the scores that we are looking for they are going to be rewarded.”

The regional tournament does not start for another three months, but Emrit said training sessions will begin on January 8.

Some of the areas Emrit will be focusing on in the first month of training are fitness, strength and conditioning, and skill work.

After that, net sessions will begin, along with trial matches to select the final squad.

The Red Force coach spoke about one area he wants his players to improve in.

“I think our fitness is at a decent level, but I think if we get fitter both mentally and physically, I think we will take it to another level...our national team has always been at a decent level, but I think if we could get that extra edge, it will benefit us.”

Emrit felt the Harpy Eagles were a fitter bunch than his players last season.