(Trinidad Guardian) Mystery spinner Sunil Narine and middle order batsman Darren Bravo will both miss the Red Force T20 series against Guyana on the weekend. Manager of the team Omar Khan said on Tuesday that both players have asked to be excused for the two-match series, citing personal commitments. Replacing them will be PowerGen prolific opener Nicholas Sookdeosingh and all rounder Imran Khan. Khan explained: ”Sunil and Darren have been playing a lot of cricket and sometimes time away from the game also helps. They have asked for some time off to attend to personal business and they have been granted this time.”
This is the first phase of the preparations for the T&T cricketers as they are getting ready to participate in the Champions League T20 tournament which gets underway in mid-September in India. The T&T squad led by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin will participate in a two-match series on Friday at 7pm and on Saturday, also at the same time.
Khan added that it is great that the Red Force can assemble with weeks to go before the tournament starts. “It is important that the players get together and play as a unit. We have no worries with Sunil and Darren missing the Guyana leg because they have been around the Red Force for quite a while and understand the team’s policy. They would re-join us next week in Dominica for the second and final leg before we fly off to India.
The only new man in the set up really is Nicholas Pooran and I am sure he will fit right in.”
The national team is expected to leave the Caribbean immediately after playing the Windwards in Dominica next weekend. T&T has earned direct entry into the tournament this year, after lobbying by the TTCB. In 2011 and 2012 they played in the Qualifiers. They are in group ‘B’ along with Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), the runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Titans (RAM SLAM T20 Challenge runner-up), and the second-ranked team from the CLT20 2013 Qualifier.
T&T Squad for Guyana: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Jason Mohammed, Denesh Ramdin—Captain, Rayad Emrit, Imran Khan, Ravi Rampaul, Samuel Badree, Sherwin Ganga, Khesan Ottley, Nicholas Pooran, Shannon Gabriel, Navin Stewart and Adrian Barath. Omar Khan—Manager, David Williams—Coach, Oba Gulston—Physiotherapist and Kelvin Williams—Assistant Coach.