According to a report, the Stanford Twenty20 Superstar Squad ofWest Indies opener Xavier Marshall has been released from the squad for no apparent reason.
Stabroek Sport was informed Sunday last that Guyanese Travis Dowlin had been drafted into the squad as a replacement for injured West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Bravo, who two weeks ago underwent ankle surgery in the United States of America is not a sure bet to be fit for the November 1 clash against an England Twenty20 side.
On Tuesday, the news from Stanford Twenty20 Superstar chairman Sir Vivian Richards was that two changes were made as Marshall was axed and Bravo was unfit.
The replacements, according to news reports, are Dowlin and Vincentian bowling all-rounder Daren Sammy respectively. The 24-year-old Sammy has played tests and one day matches for the West Indies.
The Stanford Twenty20 squad will begin an intense six-week training session from today and only Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be missing from the 17-man squad.
Chanderpaul is fulfilling his contractual obligations with English countyside Durham.
According to a release from Stanford public relations officer, Imran Khan, the squad will go through their paces from today until October 25 when they will take on a Trinidad and Tobago squad, the winners of the 2008 Stanford 20/20 tournament.
Trinidad will play the English Twenty/20 champions for US$400,000 and their coach Kelvin Williams is optimistic that they will win. Williams based his optimism on the fact that Trinidad will be without Keiron Pollard, Dave Mohammed and Rayad Emrit who are included in the Stanford Superstar squad while inspirational all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is out injured.
The T&T coach said, however, that he was going for a sweep to prove why they are the Caribbean champions. T&T is scheduled to play the Stanford Superstars on October 25, Middlesex on October 27 for US$400,000 and England 20/20 squad on October 28.
All the matches will be played at the Stanford Cricket ground, Coolidge, Antigua. Also scheduled are two other warm-up matches where England will take on Middlesex on October 26 and Stanford superstars will take on Middlesex on October 30 – all will be played at the same venue.
The Stanford series will conclude with the biggest payday in team sports history when the Stanford Superstars will tackle an England squad for US$20,000,000.
Meanwhile, the Stanford Superstars will be going through their six-week training under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Eldine Baptiste, Assistant Coach Roger Harper, Fielding Coach Julien Fountain, Manager Lance Gibbs and Assistant Manager Cardigan Connor.
Stanford Superstars squad: Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Chad Hampson, Lindon James, Sylvester Joseph, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, Daren Powell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.
