PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former West Indies Test captain Denesh Ramdin is hoping to use next month’s Regional Super50 as an opportunity to continue his impressive comeback.
The 33-year-old gloveman has played 74 Tests and 139 One-Day Internationals but was dropped from both formats two years ago and has not suited up since.
However, he returned to the first class tournament last season to plunder 799 runs at an average of 61 and grab the attention of selectors. And following a decent run in the just concluded Caribbean Premier League, Ramdin is eyeing a similar prolific run in the 50-overs tournament.
“As we all know [in the] CPL you don’t get a lot of balls to bat, batting in the middle and lower order,” Ramdin told the NewsDay here.
“Being elevated to open in the (CPL) finals was a great opportunity for me. It is just to continue that great work I have been doing for the last four, five months in terms of the four-day set up. I did well in the four-day, scored a lot of runs for TT, so I would like to continue that.
“In the 50-overs format, there will be a lot more balls and a lot more time to give myself the opportunity to bat in the middle overs and put up some runs for the team.”
Ramdin will be joined in the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force squad by several leading names, including the likes of West Indies stars Dwayne and Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Jason Mohammed and Kieron Pollard.
Dwayne Bravo, who captained Trinbago Knight Riders in their recent successful defence of their CPL title, will serve as Ramdin’s deputy – an alliance which Ramdin believes will pay dividends.
“It is always good to have a [high] calibre player with his experience,” Ramdin noted.
“Throughout the CPL, we have worked closely together in terms of planning, strategizing, as well as coming up with good plans to beat the opposition team. Having him on the flip side of that – being vice (captain) and I am the captain – I think it is no different.”
He added: “We will work hand in hand and not only Bravo but the guys like Pollard, (Lendl) Simmons and Narine. All those guys with the experience makes my job a lot easier.
“It is going to be a good 50 overs [tournament] for us. We have not played together for some time now, so it is going to be exciting.”
The Super50 will be staged in Trinidad and Barbados but Cricket West Indies are yet to release the playing schedule.
