BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Head coach Vasbert Drakes has downplayed the presence of eight West Indies Test players in his Barbados Pride squad, and has underscored the importance of playing as a unit in the second phase of the Regional First Class Championship.
The squad is headed by Test skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and includes the likes of Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer and Jomel Warrican.
All-rounder Jonathan Carter, Justin Greaves and Keon Harding have all also played white-ball international cricket, leaving the 15-man unit quite a strong one but Drakes said there would no emphasis placed on individuals.
“It’s not necessarily about the confidence in names. We as a group know we have some very good opposition,” Drakes said.
“We played against [Leewards Islands Hurricanes] and those guys played some very good cricket in Barbados [in the first phase].
“Playing cricket in Trinidad is a different set of [challenges] and Guyana in Trinidad you know they’re going to come with a lot of spinners so we have some plans and let’s see.”
He continued: “Like all Barbados teams, we play as a collective. It’s not necessarily about Shane Dowrich, it’s not necessarily about Kraigg Brathwaite, it’s not necessarily about Roston Chase, it’s not about Shai Hope – it’s about us playing as a team to achieve our objectives.”
Pride lead the standings with 42 points after winning both their opening games at home but are only just ahead of the other unbeaten side, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on 38.6 points.
In their first game, Pride beat Hurricanes by four wickets and then followed up with a convincing ten-wicket victory over Jamaica Scorpions.
They take on archrivals Guyana Harpy Eagles starting Wednesday at Queen’s Park Oval and will follow up with a fourth round fixture against Red Force next week, before wrapping up against Windward Islands Volcanoes next month.
Harpy Eagles have had a mixed start to the championship, winning one and losing one to be fourth on 21.4 points.
Drakes said Pride’s major focus would be to exert pressure and execute properly as a group.
“We have the ability to create pressure, we have the ability to influence the game in a big way so that’s something we’re looking forward to as a collective,” he stressed.
“So there are no trump cards, just some good cricketers playing against some good cricketers in the Caribbean so on the given day, [if] the guys execute well, it allows you to control the game.”
In the other third round fixtures, Red Force clash with third placed Hurricanes (24.6 points) at the Diego Martin Sports Complex while bottom placed Scorpions (8.8) and fifth placed Volcanoes (10.8) do battle at the Brian Lara Stadium.