TTCB – News

Cricket chief hails Ganga as ‘outstanding leader’
November 14, 2011

DAREN GANGA has been praised as an outstanding leader whose legacy in local cricket history is assured and whose sudden resignation as national team captain leaves a gaping vacuum which will be difficult to fill.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) Azim Bassarath said on Sunday that Ganga has distinguished himself as a natural leader on the field and his contribution to the T&T cricket team has been internationally acknowledged.

“Daren Ganga has served Trinidad and Tobago cricket with distinction over the years and is credited as being the inspiration behind the emergence of several youngsters who have developed into international stars,” said Bassarath.

The local cricket chief, recently re-elected unopposed along with his national executive thanked Ganga for his years of service and agreed with him that succession planning is crucial to the maintenance of T&T’s supremacy in regional cricket.

“We are happy to note that Ganga is making himself available to play in the national team and we value his vast experience and  knowledge of the game. He will certainly be counted upon as T&T enters the 2012 season eager to break their drought in the regional Four-Day competition,” said Bassarath.

The T&TCB leader stated that Ganga serves as a role model for young people who has shown by his example that  despite formidable challenges, one could emerge triumphant through sheer hard work and  dedication.

Ganga was named captain of the T&T team in 2003 and over the years has built up an impressive resume and owns  the accolade as the most successful  national captain ever but his resignation comes mere months after T&T bowed disappointingly out of the 2011 Nokia Champions League T20 in India.

Last month T&T also failed to reclaim the regional limited overs championship when they were beaten by Jamaica in the final of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Super50  tournament  in a one-sided final in Guyana.

Bassarath said that the 32-year-old Ganga, who played  48 Tests for the West Indies and scored three centuries will be a hard act to follow but will be assured of all the support that was afforded the former national captain which played an integral role in his eventual success.

“Captaining the national cricket team is not an easy job as the responsibility weighs heavily on the person given that job. Ganga has shown that he was more than capable by leading from the front  and eliciting the best of his players under testing conditions,” said Bassarath.

“His self-belief and never-say-die attitude rubbed off easily on the men under his charge which not only swelled our national pride but also snatched the attention of cricket fans all around the world who now recognize T&T as the Cinderella team of world cricket,” said Bassarath.