PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – New head coach Mervyn Dillon is on a quest to help Red Force rediscover their trademark confidence and winning culture, and hopes the Regional Super50 starting next week can be the starting point for this revival.
Red Force, the most successful side in the domestic 50-overs tournament, last won the Super50 three years ago but have come up short ever since, twice reaching the semi-finals but failing to clear that hurdle.
Dillon, who played 38 Tests and 108 One-Day Internationals for West Indies, said much of Red Force’s success had come as a result of a golden generation which were now in the “twilight years of their careers”.
“There were a group of players that came through following my era that played the game with a lot of confidence, but we have to be careful now,” said the 45-year-old Dillon who last played for Red Force 11 years ago.
“They are now in the twilight years of their careers and it is something that we need to examine seriously. They came in and revolutionised confidence in the T&T set-up in the way that they played the game.
“We seem to be losing it a bit now and that’s something else for me to work on. That’s the kind of team we want to build, players who know and understand each other.”
He added: “We have seen the crowds dwindle over the years, but if we start winning, we will see the crowds return to support us. It is important for us to put together good performances and to play a brand of cricket that is acceptable at this level, and once we do this, we will win more than we lose.
“There are certain basic things, but it is for us to not give people (teams) wins. We must make sure that the other teams have to play extremely well to beat us.
“I think with a lot of teams in the Caribbean there is a lot of inconsistency, where a team plays well one day and the next day, you are left wondering what happened. It is important we find the right balance and play at a higher level more consistently.”
Red Force, who will host Group B at Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Stadium, face a tough challenge after being pitted alongside last year’s losing finalists, Guyana Jaguars, and 2017-18 champions, Windward Islands Volcanoes.
West Indies Emerging Players, a development squad, and United States, complete the group.
And with the top two teams in each group advancing to the semi-finals, Dillon said it would be dangerous to take any side lightly.
“The way the game is played, we cannot take anyone for granted. No matter the opponent, we still have to turn up and play great,” he stressed.
“Who we are playing against should not affect the way we play but it should only give you a little more confidence against certain teams. We do not want to be over-confident because we have seen in this game of glorious uncertainties what can happen.
“It is about trying to get the player to understand that we have to turn up and play at our highest level every day, even at practice.”
The Super50 runs from November 6 to December 1.
