TTCB – News

Lequay praised for cricket centre
February 18, 2010

SPORTS Minister Gary Hunt, left, chats with Trinidad and Tobago batsman Adrian Bharat, right, in the company of Guyana’s Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and president of the TTCB, Azim Bassarath.	ALSO at the cricket function were Martha Nanan, wife of former national captain Rangy Nanan; Shareeda Bassarath, the better half of TTCB president Azim Bassarath; and Dianne Ramkessoon, spouse of chief selector Dudnath Ramkessoon
FIRST vice president of the TTCB, Dudnath Ramkessoon, right, welcomes Hugh Gore, manager of the Leeward Islands cricket team. Azad Abass Ali, president of Alescon Comets Cricket Club is at centre.	PHOTOS BY HERMAN ROOP DASS

MINISTER of Sports and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt has called for a new formula that will represent a paradigm shift in the fortunes of West Indies cricket.

Hunt made the point while addressing a reception to welcome six regional cricket teams at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva on Wednesday.

Hosting the event was the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) headed by newly-elected president Azim Bassarath.

The latest round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional First Class Cricket Championship will be contested this weekend and involves defending champions and tournament leaders Jamaica, Barbados, Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

In matches starting today TT play Windward Islands at the Queen's Park Oval; Barbados face Jamaica at UWI, St Augustine; and Guyana clash with Leeward Islands at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain.

In his address Minister Hunt said the tournament is “history making” and he was hopeful that it would signal the start of a turning point to help the West Indies team make a positive move to a brighter future.

Hunt said what was needed was strong mental preparation to help the West Indies to regain its former cricket prominence on the international scene, and emphasised that there is still a lot of talent in the region.

"We have to step out of the boundary and out of the box to regain world dominance," he said.

He felt that the rest of the world had moved away from their customary way and type of preparation especially in the physiological and psychological developmental levels.

"There is a gap in all team sports in the country, and indeed in the rest of the Caribbean and we have started programmes to deal with such issues," Hunt said.

He appealed to players, coaches and administrators to create a new path to achieve excellence and pledged Government’s support.

Hunt paid tribute to the former president of the TTCB, Alloy Lequay, who attended Wednesday’s function, crediting him with displaying a high quality of administrative skills in establishing the Cricket Centre at Balmain.