TTCB – News

Cricket Board proud of T20 victory
January 26, 2011

MANAGER of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team Omar Khan (centre) presents the Caribbean T20 Championship Trophy to Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Anil Roberts, right, while Azim Bassarath, president of the T&T Cricket Board applauds at right.
PHOTO COURTESY T&T CRICKET BOARD

LEADING officials of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board are unanimous in their praise of the national cricket team who were crowned regional T20 champions on Sunday in Barbados.

The victorious team captained by the experienced Daren Ganga returned home on Monday evening and was greeted by officials and supporters including Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Anil Roberts, president of the T&T Cricket Board Azim Bassarath, Chairman of National Selectors Dudnath Ramkessoon and Manohar Ramsaran, Administrative Manager of the T&TCB.

Bassarath, in addressing the players at a function in the VIP Lounge of Piarco Airport called on the West Indies Cricket Board to immediately appoint Ganga as the skipper of the regional One-Day International and T20 teams.

The local cricket boss said that following the T&T captain’s performance in inspiring his team to their second Caribbean T20 championship in three years, he has shown that he possesses the capacity to assume the role.

T&T played unbeaten in the 2011 T20 tournament sweeping aside the challenge of Barbados in the semi-final and then dominating English champions Hampshire in the championship match at Kensington Oval.

Coincidentally Omar Khan has distinguished himself as the manager of the team on both occasions the T&T cricketers topped the region, in 2008 when they won the Stanford Twenty20 in Antigua and on Sunday in the second WICB tournament. Guyana were crowned champions last year here in Trinidad and Tobago.

Also opening batsman Lendl Simmons captured the Most Valuable Player award on Sunday for his outstanding batting which contributed significantly to T&T’s success which guarantees them a berth in the lucrative Airtel Champions League T20 which will be played in India later this year.

Bassarath pointed to the involvement of Caribbean Airlines, and First Citizens, one of the leading banks in T&T in sponsoring the team at the Caribbean T20 which he described as an investment which has paid rich dividends.

He said that every effort will be made to keep the national team in a state of preparedness for the upcoming regional cricket season starting with a four-day encounter against Barbados at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre next week.

Ramsaran, a former Sports Minister said that all Trinidad and Tobago can feel justifiably proud of the achievements of the national senior cricketers who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are the best in the shortest form of the game in the region.

However he pointed out that what the public is seeing is the finished product of a sustained and committed effort by the T&TCB to develop and nurture cricketers from the primary school level upwards.

“The programmes are designed and executed by the T&T Cricket Board is comprehensive and covers all age groups. There are no gaps. And this can be seen by the results we have been having over the past few years,” said Ramsaran.

Ramsaran also highlighted the fact that while the national cricketers are being handsomely rewarded for their efforts which they deserve, there are several former national players who have fallen on hard times and the T&TCB is working to alleviate some of their distress.

“We have been doing our best to help in whatever way we can to address the challenges faced by several retired cricketers to served our country well in the past. It is a debt that we must repay,” said Ramsaran.

Also attending Monday’s function were T&TCB officials Arjune Ramlal, secretary; Nyron Asgarali of the North Zone; Sukesh Maniam, treasurer; Patrick Rampersad of the Merry Boys Cricket Club; Jason Julien, Investment Manager and Dale Mohammed of First Citizens; Alicia Cabrera (Marketing Manager) Laura Asbjornsen (Head of Corporate Communications) and of Caribbean Airlines and Ramesh Lutchmedial, Director of Civil Aviation.