PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – New Trinidad and Tobago Red Force manager Roland Sampath hopes the side’s capture of the recently held NAGICO Super50 tournament, provides impetus for the remainder of the side’s four-day campaign.
Red Force struggled through the first four rounds, winning just one of their outings and now languish one from the bottom of the six-team standings on 24 points.
They face Windward Islands Volcanoes at Beausejour Cricket Ground in their fifth round encounter starting tomorrow.
“We have a bunch of young talented players in the squad. We are low down in the standings right now however having won the Super50, one would expect the confidence of the players to be high,” Sampath told the Trinidad Express newspaper.
“We are also expecting the guys to perform better. We have some young players who will get an opportunity now to showcase their talent.”
Red Force escaped with a draw in their opening game against Barbados Pride at Queen’s Park Oval and then beat bottom-of-the-table Leeward Islands Hurricanes by six wickets in the next round.
However, they then suffered two defeats on the trot, going down to Jamaica by 37 runs and to leaders Guyana Jaguars by an innings and 60 runs in the fourth round.
Sampath has replaced Manohar Ramsaran, who quit following the conclusion of the Super50, and says he was looking forward to helping build the Red Force side.
“It is a good opportunity for me to be working with the senior players for the first time,” said Sampath.
He added: “I have worked with these youngsters in the Under-19 team and anyway I can assist I am willing to do that.”
Already without five senior players for the trip to Gros Islet, T&T were further setback with the news that inspirational captain Rayad Emrit would be unavailable because of an injury picked up during the Super50.
He has been replaced left-arm seamer Daniel St Clair, while Super50 final hero Jason Mohammed will take over the reins of the squad.
“Our skipper failed a fitness test so he is not going to make the trip. They are working on it but he will definitely not be ready in time for the Windwards match,” Sampath explained.
“He has a groin problem and it was dicey taking him on the road for three away games.”
