T&TCB Under-23 Academy
October 2nd 2008

‘Dessie’ Haynes to deliver address at U-23 launch

Former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman Desmond Haynes will deliver the feature address at the launch of the T&T Cricket Board Cricket Academy, on Friday at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, starting at 2 pm.

The ‘live in’ programme will run for nine weekends and will get underway later in the evening at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Development Centre. Seventeen players with potential to represent T&T and the West Indies have been selected to undergo specialised training during the duration of the programme.

Former T&T and West Indies wicketkeeper and current President of the T&TCB will also address the gathering.

Sports Minister Gary Hunt has also been invited to attend the launch. This Under-23 training programme is the brainchild of the board’s CEO and General Secretary, Forbes Persaud.

And the Queen’s Park Cricket Club trio of Justin Guillen, Daron Cruikshank and Kervon Cooper are among the 17 players selected, to participate in the course.

Guillien,Cruikshank and Cooper were earlier this week selected on the T&T Twenty20 squad to take part in the Stanford Super Series Tournament later this month in Antigua.

Also named among the participants are T&T and West Indies Twenty20 opening batsman William Perkins and former T&T and West Indies youth cricketers Darren Bravo, Rishi Bachan and Sunil Narine.

This is the first time the local board will hosting an under-23 programme, but several players who have passed through the academy in a previous age-group have gone on to represent T&T and West Indies.

Among them are Amit Jaggernauth, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo.

Participants: Mario Belcon, William Perkins, Darren Bravo, Justin Guillen, Dane Teelucksingh, Kjorn Ottley, Yannick Cariah, Anthony Balgobin, Kervon Cooper, Rishi Bachan, Sunil Narine, Vishan Ramroop, Daron Cruickshank, Shannon Gabriel, Keegan Roy, Dion Bennet, Magnum Nanan