Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard have opted to miss the current regional T20 cricket series but T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) boss Azim Bassarath says they will be eligible to play, if T&T reaches the Champions League in October.
T&T is currently involved in the regional T20 competition and will oppose Hampshire from 4pm today at Kensington Oval in Barbados. If they win, they will move on to the semi-finals. In 2009, when T&T qualified for the Champions League in India, Bravo and Pollard both played integral roles in taking the team to the finals, which they lost to New South Wales.
Bassarath said :”Bravo and Pollard although deciding to miss the current series to be in Australia, are still available to play for us, if we go on and qualify for the Champions League.
“There is nothing in the Champions League regulations that debar them from playing for us, although they miss the qualifiers. Any team that qualifies for the Champions League have the right to send out their best outfit and I see no reason why the selectors would not consider the two players.”
Bravo and Pollard is currently involved in the Australia T20 Big Bash. Bravo are having an ordinary tournament with Victoria, while Pollard has been the star for the South Australian Redbacks.
Another scenario may arise, where the players may have to choose if their Australian teams qualify for the Champions League. “It will then be up to the player who he wants to represent,”said Bassarath.
The TTCB made it clear late last year, Bravo and Pollard had their support in fulfilling their T20 contracts in Australia. According to Bassarath :”Both players got our support, so it is not as if they will be punished by the board for missing the regional series.
