PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago coach David Williams says his team will be a force to be reckoned with as it prepares to leave the Caribbean today for the Champions League Twenty/20 in South Africa which begins next week.
The former West Indies wicketkeeper says he is satisfied with the level of preparation which included tours to Miami and Barbados as well as a four nation Twenty/20 tournament in Trinidad.
“We started three months ago and we had a fair amount of games. The guys are in really good nick and I am really happy with the condition of the guys at the moment,” said Williams.
“We had eight trial games and we had good weather throughout our preparations”.
The Red Force will be without their three top players-Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine- who have elected to play with their IPL clubs.
However, they will be joined in South Africa by captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, leg-spinner Samuel Badree, opener Lendl Simmons and the stylish Darren Bravo who are with the regional side currently competing for the Twenty20 World Cup.
“So there is a wealth of experience in there” said Williams.
“If we can blend that with the youngsters coming in, T&T will again be a force to be reckoned with”.
The squad also boasts of a number of emerging players the likes of promising batsman Evin Lewis and all-rounder Yannick Ottley.
Ottley impressed with a match winning unbeaten knock of 52 against Bangladesh after Trinidad crumbled to 12 for five in the recent Asia versus the Caribbean tournament.
“The selectors have selected the team based on merit. These guys have done well in the trials and they have been doing well all season” the coach said.
“They are in form and if given the opportunity, I am sure they will put up their hands and be counted…we are happy with those two”.
T and T defeated Barbados 2-1 in a Twenty/20 series last month to climax its build up to the Champions League T20.
The Trinidadians won the first two matches convincingly but were unable to stage a comeback to win the third.
The Twenty20 Champions League takes place from October 9-28.
