Trinidad and Tobago Red Force coach David Furlonge is confident that the team’s three young debutants will exceed expectations as they step up to the senior level in the upcoming West Indies Four-Day Championships.
The Red Force are set to begin their campaign against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in a day/night encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on January 29.
“I am hoping that they live up to expectations. They have earned their selection after performances in the North/South (contest) and the trial matches that we had. It is to see them go forward into the higher level...and do well,” Furlonge said.
The squad features 18-year-old fast bowler Aaidan Racha, left-handed batsman Andrew Rambaran, 19, all-rounder Joshua James, and wicketkeeper-batsman Antonio Gomez. While James has prior experience with the Red Force in the 50-over format, this will be the first foray into first-class cricket for the others.
The youngsters earned their spots through standout performances in recent matches. Rambaran hit half-centuries in both innings of the North/South Classic, while James impressed with a half-century and bowling figures of 3-21 in subsequent trial matches. Gomez showcased his batting prowess with a century in the Under-23 Cup.
With several key players unavailable due to West Indies Test duties and franchise commitments, the newcomers have a golden opportunity to shine. Regulars such as wicketkeeper-batsmen Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo, along with pacers Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip, are in Pakistan for a Test series.
Additionally, Terrence Hinds is unavailable for the first three matches due to his participation in the International League T20.
Despite the absences, the squad boasts a solid core of experienced players, including captain Bryan Charles, vice-captain Khary Pierre, and seasoned campaigners Jason Mohammed, Yannic Cariah, Tion Webster, and Jyd Goolie.
Furlonge highlighted the importance of Mohammed’s presence in the batting lineup, especially given his impressive recent form. Mohammed recently smashed 224 runs in the North/South Classic.
“You can’t beat his experience; he is important to the batting unit batting at number four,” Furlonge noted.
“Jason has a bad mind; he goes out there and scores runs. You give him a target, and he normally meets or exceeds the target. Him getting early form, I think, is very good for the team,” he added.
That said, Furlonge pointed out that the Red Force have already gained valuable experience playing under lights this year, which he believes will be crucial in their opener against CCC.
This, as the conditions could pose challenges for spinners, as gripping a wet ball is often difficult, but Furlonge is optimistic about the team’s adaptability.
“We saw the conditions that we would have to play in. We saw the ball moving around a bit; we saw in the night that the ball gets a little wet. The umpires were constantly changing the ball. We would have to look at the spinners bowling earlier in the day and the seamers bowling later on,” he explained.
Finally, Furlonge welcomed the addition of former West Indies and Red Force player Lendl Simmons, who will serve as a mentor, especially for the younger players.
“It is always good to have senior players around to give them advice, give them encouragement, and talk about their past experiences, especially with some of the young fellas that we have there. We have the young Gomez, who is a wicketkeeper batter, and Andrew Rambaran...he could be a good influence on them,” the coach ended.