Bassarath: Improving Red Force four-day team is a priority

DAVID SCARLETT

PRESIDENT of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath, said the national governing body is prioritising an improvement in the performance of the Red Force team in regional four-day cricket.

Trinidad and Tobago have been in a 16-year drought in this format and last tasted success in the West Indies Championship in 2006, under former captain Daren Ganga.

The Red Force won their last two matches of the 2023-24 West Indies Championship against the Jamaica Scorpions and the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), but the late push did little to improve their title chances as they finished a disappointing fifth in the eight-team table, with four wins from seven matches.

The 2022-23 campaign was worse for the Red Force, with a solitary win in five matches to place fourth in a six-team league.

The post-covid tournament in 2021-22 saw the Red Force win just two of five matches played.

In the 2017-18 championship, TT were bottom of the league with two wins from ten matches.

The Red Force came closest to reclaiming the title in the 2012-13 season (round-robin format) when they lost the final to Barbados by an innings and 22 runs.

It has been an unusual phenomenon for TT as they struggle in four-day cricket, yet excel in the T20 and ODI formats.

Bassarath said his executive has acknowledged this weakness and addressing it is a key part of their plans for cricketing development.

At the 2024 TTCB annual awards held at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on October 5, Bassarath said, “We are aware of the disappointing results at the regional level, especially in red-ball cricket. It is the intention of the TTCB to press forward with the hope of initiating the changes required, which will extract the best of our present crop to retain our position at the top of the regional ladder.

“The TTCB recognises the need to further uplift the standard of cricket. When TT cricket rises, the entire region feeds off the momentum, which enhances our position on the international arena.”

Bassarath said 2024 was a historic year as the TTCB administration was challenged on several fronts to ensure that the players were afforded the best opportunities on the field of play.

New-look top division coming

He said improving cricket standards from the premiership division down to youth level would aid in the resurgence of local cricket.

“Over the past several months, the Premier League Committee have had discussions about restructuring the top-tier competition,” Bassarath said. “I can reveal that agreements will be reached very soon to implement the new-look format, which will soon be made public, designed to provide the best avenue for clubs to grow and develop their talents, and excel at the top level.”

He also emphasised the importance of youth development and the opportunities that must be given to young and aspiring cricketers.

“This year, we have witnessed some many exciting results in the Premier League and Sunday League 50-Over Tournament, as well as the T20 Festival at the national level. Also, from a development perspective, the TT U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 competitions at the zonal level remain a standard-bearer to showcase the future generation of cricket."

He said it was through these programmes that international superstars like Keiron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo and others have emerged.

Bassarath said the TTCB has a goal for sustainable player development and are planning to engage the most promising U-18 cricketers in its latest academy intake over the upcoming nine weekends.