TTCB Approach to WICB for TT's inclusion in 2009 Champions League

I refer to an article in the Newsday Newspaper headlined "Bassarath says no one lobbied for TT."� The article was in reference to Trinidad and Tobago's senior team inclusion in the 2009 edition of the Champions League Series scheduled to be played from October 8th to 23rd 2009 in India. Bassarath is quoted as saying "I am not aware of any request by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) to have the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) lobby for the National Team to be included in the tournament."�

Let me state emphatically that the message conveyed by Bassarath carries misinformation and is misleading to the public. The fact is the TTCB did approach the WICB to make representation to the authorities to have T&T included in the champions series.

This move was initiated following a meeting with captain of the national team Daren Ganga and the CEO/General Secretary of the TTCB Forbes Persaud a few days after T&T won the Stanford Twenty/20 tournament in February 2008.

At this meeting one of the many issues discussed was the possibility of T&T participating in the tournament. Ganga and the TTCB's CEO agreed that the TTCB should pursue this matter with the WICB.

This request was conveyed to the president of the TTCB Deryck Murray who approached the former CEO of the WICB Dr Donald Peters on the matter. Peters sometime later informed Murray that he had discussed the matter with the authorities however he said that the request was too late for the 2008 edition of the tournament.

Peters informed Murray that the organizers promised him that serious consideration will be given for T&T's participation in 2009. It is now history that the 2008 series was aborted because of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India.

One should bear in mind the magnificent performance of the T&T team in the Stanford Super Series where T&T convincingly whipped English County champions Middlesex and narrowly lost by one run to England's senior team since I feel confident that this would have impacted positively with the decision to have T&T included in the series.

The TTCB wishes to inform the public that we will continue to remain focus on the job at hand, will not be distracted and will at all times do everything possible to promote and further develop the game and by extension use the medium of cricket to assist in the all round development of our young people.

Yours sincerely

Forbes Persaud MOM

CEO/General Secretary