PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Barbados’ senior cricket side is to take part in a four-team Twenty20 Festival at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre at the end of December, an official of the Trinidad &Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) said.
According to TTCB first vice-president Dudnath Ramkessoon, the December 28-30 tournament will be played on a round robin format, featuring the Trinidad & Tobago senior team, a national A side, a Trinidad & Tobago Academy and Barbados.
A cash prize is at stake, Ramkessoon added.
Last year, the TTCB held a similar tournament at the same venue and it proved a tremendous success with big crowds present. On that occasion, Guyana were the foreign team.
Next month’s tournament will also serve as a warm-up for the Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados teams ahead of the 2012 Caribbean T20 championship to be hosted by Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados from January 9 to 22.
“We are still finalising the cash prize and so on but the festival is on and will take place just after Christmas. We played this last year as a replacement for the annual North/South Classic and it made more sense having the national players take part in a T20 tournament rather than a four-day tournament with the regional T20 so close at hand,” Ramkessoon said.
Ramkessoon, who is also chairman of the national senior selection panel added: “The West Indies Cricket Board has asked that we submit our national team for the regional T20 by December 7, so we will name the team by December 6 and they will continue their training. This series will form part of their preparations.” The national team has had their training interrupted by the current inclement weather. The first trial match carded for Saturday was abandoned.
“We have six trial matches planned but unfortunately we have had to call off the first one because ground staff at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, have not been able to prepare the pitch,” Ramkessoon said.
“The rain has been belting down for the past few days. We are hoping to get in the next five matches in order to give as many players a chance to address the selectors before we name the team.”
In the meantime, the national cricketers continue to train at the indoor facilities of the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Centre.