Newly appointed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force head coach Rayad Emrit is confident of making a smooth transition into the role as he looks to build on the foundation left by David Furlonge with hopes of guiding the team to long-awaited four-day championship glory.

Emrit, who previously served as assistant coach, takes charge for the remainder of the West Indies Four-Day Championship after Furlonge resigned following Red Force’s innings and 75-run victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Saturday.

“It’s a big privilege, an honour to take over from David. He’s been there for a while, and he’s done a very good job with the white-ball team. Obviously, the four-day title has eluded us for some time now. That’s probably my first goal; try to secure silverware in that department,” Emrit told the T&T Express.

Emrit, a former Red Force all-rounder who played 84 first-class matches over 13 years, was part of the last Trinidad and Tobago squad to win the regional four-day title in 2006. Now in charge, he intends to refine match preparation and instill a new team culture in pursuit of championship success.

“We have a good bunch of guys who want to bring glory to Trinidad and Tobago cricket. I’ve played a lot of cricket with guys there. The camaraderie is there, the respect is there, and I think we have a very good understanding,” Emrit shared.

With the Red Force’s next assignment being against the Windward Islands Volcanoes starting on Wednesday, Emrit welcomed the return of West Indies internationals Joshua Da Silva, Jayden Seales, Amir Jangoo, and Anderson Phillip to bolster the lineup.

Their arrival means Justin Manick, Antonio Gomez, Andrew Rambaran, and Aaidan Racha will have to make way.

“It is a big boost for us to have these four international guys back in the squad. It’s going to make the job a little harder now to select the final XI, but it’s a good headache to have,” Emrit said.

“We’re hoping that they can bring back their international experience into the team...There is a leadership role that we need. There are a lot of guys who have been playing first-class cricket for a while. I think we have a very good bunch. The focus is to play positive cricket...and get the results we are looking for,” he added.