Barath brought back for 4-Day finalBy Roger Seepersad
trinidadexpress.comStory Created: May 6, 2013 at 9:33 PM ECT
(Story Updated: May 6, 2013 at 9:37 PM ECT )
Adrian Barath has been recalled to the Trinidad and Tobago senior cricket team for the final of the regional four-day competition bowling off on Thursday at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
Barath replaces Kjorn Ottley in the squad that will travel to Barbados early tomorrow morning and chairman of selectors Dudnath Ramkessoon said the move was made to put some experience back at the top of the batting order.
The right-handed opening batsman, Barath, was dropped from the T&T line-up ahead of the four-day semi-final against Jamaica when the selectors made some bold changes which saw all-rounder Akeal Hosein and teenage opening batsman Jeremy Solozano making their first class debuts.
T&T went on to win the match and secure their place in the final and although the selectors were reluctant to change what turned out to be a winning combination, they were willing to give Barath a second chance.
“We wanted to put some experience back in the top three,” Ramkessoon said of the only change to the squad.
“They (the T&T squad) are just coming from a big victory and we did not want to make too many changes to the team going into a final.”
He also noted that Kavesh Kantasingh, Yannick Ottley and Darren Bravo were still unavailable.
“It will be a very hard game playing Barbados in Barbados. We know that there is a good rivalry between the two teams and we know they (Barbados) will come at us very hard so we felt that we needed some more experience at the top and we are hoping that he (Barath) will want to show that he belongs in the team and step up his performances to prove that he deserves a place in the squad,” Ramkessoon added.
“He had some time to reflect (after being axed) and that could work in his favour. His talent and his ability were never in doubt and this will be a good time for him to prove that he belongs.”
Asked about Jason Mohammed keeping his place in the side after scores of zero, seven, zero, zero, seven and three in his previous six first class innings since making 138 against the Combined Campuses and Colleges, Ramkessoon said: “He recently had some bad scores and we feel that he is long overdue. He has the experience and we wanted to give him another chance because we did not want to change up the side too much heading into a final.”
T&T squad: Denesh Ramdin (captain), Jeremy Solozano, Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Steven Katwaroo, Jason Mohammed, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Rayad Emrit, Amit Jaggernauth, Yannic Carriah, Shannon Gabriel, Marlon Richards. David Williams (coach), Omar Khan (manager)
