PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s cricket team manager Colin Borde is confident his side can add the West Indies 2010 Four-Day title to the One-Day and Twenty20 regional crowns they now hold.
T&T’s background preparation is well advanced and Borde says they will spend the next month fine-tuning their training for the start of the West Indies first-class season in January.
“We will be starting the skill specific work and trials soon and we expect that with the continued pre-season preparation, we will start the 2010 season with the four-day trophy,” Borde said.
Jamaica were handsome winners of the 2009 WICB Regional Four-Day Championship but Borde says T&T are motivated to becoming the new champions.
“We want this one to prove that we are the premier team in the Caribbean,” Borde said.
T&T’s preparation set-up has been extended to 39 players, including leading youth players and Borde is keen to have the juniors benefit from the experience. He said the purpose of the exercise was to expose the younger players to the programmes, techniques and the experience they can gain, from training with the senior team.
“The Under-23s are also involved as we see this as the future of T&T cricket and the preparation for the future is now. Weight training has started and we will incorporate this with speed and agility work. Game sense sessions and some lectures from people from all walks of life,” Borde said.
“We want to have players develop as individuals as well as cricketers and team members.”
Buoyed by their exhilarating performance at the Twenty20 Champions League in India where they staged several giant-killing feats to reach the final and earn the respect of the cricket world, T&T are keen for more glory.
Borde said the “sense of national pride” and the willingness to put the team’s fortunes above personal gain will be an important component to their success.
Training sessions are continuing this week at the National Cricket Centre at Balmain and a trial match will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the same venue.
