PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago manager, Omar Khan, has conceded that the unavailability of ace strike bowler Ravi Rampaul will be a ‘major blow’ to the defending champions as they begin their campaign in the Caribbean T/20 tournament here on Sunday.
Rampaul was forced to pull out of this year’s tournament after the latest MRI scan revealed a problem with the patella in his right knee.
“Of course, it is a major blow for us. Ravi is a class bowler and has been doing well for us over the past few years” said Khan.
“He is one of the main bowlers on the West Indies team as well, so when you have to do without a bowler of his calibre, it leaves you with a void. We have good bench strength and this we are depending on at the moment”.
Rampaul has been replaced by all-rounder Rayad Emrit, a right-handed batsman and right-arm seamer who has represented the defending champions in all formats for a decade. “He is being replaced by a man with experience who has been doing well in the trials and the warm-up matches and this is good for us”Khan explained.
“The coach of the team David Williams has been working with Emrit for a while now and he will fit in well in the set-up. Emrit has enjoyed success with this team in regional T20 cricket already so it is nothing new to him.”
The Caribbean T20 starts on Sunday with a showdown between Trinidad & Tobago and last year’s losing finalists Jamaica at Queen’s Park Oval.
