West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva has taken the reins from Darren Bravo and will captain the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force for the upcoming West Indies Championship.

Having led the West Indies ‘A’ team on their tour to South Africa late last year, Da Silva isn’t new to the captaincy. However, he will have to also step up with the bat in the absence of Bravo, who was the leading batter for the Red Force last year.

Meanwhile, Bryan Charles was named vice-captain of the squad which includes fit-again pacers Jayden Seales and Terrance Hinds as well as veterans Imran Khan and Jason Mohammed.

T&T will open their campaign against defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Conaree Cricket Ground in St Kitts from February 7-10 before facing the West Indies Academy at the same venue from February 14-17.

T&T will complete their St Kitts leg of the tournament on February 21-24 against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park before returning to Trinidad for two matches in March at Queen’s Park Oval.

On March 13-16, T&T will face the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Oval before facing Barbados Pride at the same venue later that month.

The Red Force will then travel to Jamaica to face CCC from April 10-13 at Chedwin Park before ending their campaign against hosts Jamaica Scorpions from April 17-20 at Sabina Park.

The Red Force will leave for St Kitts on Sunday where they will play three matches starting next Wednesday.

RED FORCE SQUAD:

Joshua Da Silva (captain), Bryan Charles (vice-captain), Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Terrance Hinds, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Vikash Mohan, Cephas Cooper, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre.

Sebastien Edwards (manager), David Furlonge (coach), Rayad Emrit (assistant coach), Ruel Rigsby (physio), Shane Burnett (S&C coach).

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force leg-spinner Imran Khan has hinted that the 2024 West Indies Championship could be his last.

A stalwart in regional cricket, the 39-year-old Khan has played 113 first-class matches, taking 450 wickets, a milestone he achieved in the final game of the 2023 West Indies Championship against Jamaica Scorpions at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

Khan also had 71 wickets in 53 List A games. With the bat, Khan has 3,622 runs with a lone century of 125. He also has a half-century in List A cricket.

Asked if he was thinking about the time he has left in the game, “I haven’t set a time frame to step away,” was his response in an interview with the Trinidad Express recently.

“I’m still fit and wanting to play. I’ve always put Trinidad and Tobago cricket first for many decades however, I know the time will come soon for me to step down to make way for younger players, but I’ll still like to be around to share my experience and knowledge,” he said.

Khan made his first-class debut as an opening batsman in 2005 and was part of the 2006 T&T squad that won the regional first-class competition, the last time the country has done so to date.

“In 2024, I am looking forward to the four-day and possibly another Super50 tournament, maybe my last, and of course maintaining my fitness and ensuring that I continue to pass each fitness test will be key,” he said.

Despite his regional success, Khan never represented the West Indies at the highest level and accepts that, at 39, that dream is likely over.

“I guess the dream playing for West Indies is over, safe to say...but I’ll like to be around to share my knowledge. Now I’ll like to explore more franchise cricket. Clearly, I have what it takes to perform,” he said.

“Yes, I have achieved being one of the best all-rounders regionally; I have several accolades to prove that, but it always will hurt that I never got the opportunity to play for West Indies. I did everything required of me, but God has a better plan,” he added.

He most recently represented the Manipal Tigers in the Legends League T20 in India from November-December last year, taking nine wickets in five matches for the eventual champions.

Khan didn’t feature in the Super50 for the Red Force towards the end of 2024 and played four out of five matches for the franchise in the West Indies Championship at the start of the year, grabbing 13 wickets with a best of four for 47.

Off-spinner Bryan Charles was the top bowler for T&T in the four-day competition, taking 21 wickets in five matches.

“I wasn’t selected in the playing 11 for the first four-day game, but I used that to get mentally stronger, which showed in my performance with the bat and ball,” Khan explained.

Having missed the season opener, Khan scored 92, his 15th first-class half-century, against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

“I really wanted to score runs this year and I definitely did. Of course, not being selected for the squad for 50 overs was disappointing but I’m happy the team won,” said Khan.

“However, not being selected for that tournament, other doors opened...I had a great Legends League tournament finishing with most wickets and the title. I’ll say 2023 has been good to me,” he added.

In the battle between bottom-placed teams, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force crushed Jamaica Scorpions by nine wickets with more than a day to spare in their West Indies Championships match at Torouba on Friday.

Needing 99 for victory, after dismissing the Scorpions for 275, TT Red Force cruised to 102-1 in 24.2 overs. Vikash Mohan was unbeaten on 44 and Darren Bravo 14 when victory was achieved. Kamil Pooran was the batsman dismissed for 39 by Jermaine Blackwood.

Bottom-of-the-table Jamaica had resumed from their overnight score of 199-5 with Abhijai Mansingh on 10 and Aldane Thomas seven when play began. The pair would add a further 53 to their overnight stand of eight but were dismissed in quick succession by Shannon Gabriel for 32 and 39, respectively.

The dismissals triggered a slide that saw the hapless Scorpions lose their last four wickets for just 23 runs slipping from 252-6 to 275 all out.

Gabriel ended with figures of 2-52. Imran Khan claimed the last three wickets - Jeavor Royal, Ojay Shields and Marquino Mindley - to finish with 4-47. Anderson Phillip took 2-46 and Bryan Charles 2-75.

Half centuries from Leon Johnson, Anthony and Kevin Sinclair were the foundation of the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ 324 against Trinidad and Tobago on the opening day of their third-round West Indies Championship match on Wednesday.

Johnson scored 62, Bramble 52 and Sinclair 69 for Guyana that also got useful contributions of 44 from Kemol Savory and 46 from Keemo Paul.

Guyana benefitted from solid middle-order batting that saw partnerships of 97 between Savory and Johnson before both were dismissed in quick succession after taking the score from 33-3.

A partnership of 79 between Bramble and Sinclair followed before Sinclair and Paul added 88 for the seventh wicket.

Imran Khan was the best of the Red Force bowlers taking 4-80 while Bryan Charkes snared 3-85 for Trinidad and Tobago who were seven without loss at stumps, 317 runs behind.

Imran Khan and Keacy Carty each scored 90s for their respective teams as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Leeward Islands Hurricanes seems head for a draw at North Sound in Antigua.

At stumps on day three of their second-round West Indies Championships encounter, Trinidad and Tobago declared on 418-9 with the Leewards responding with 243-7.

Resuming from their overnight score of 369-8 with Imran Khan on 68 and Khary Pierre on nine, the Red Force declared after Colin Archibald dismissed Khan for 92.

His was the only wicket to fall after Archibald claimed his third wicket of the match to end with figures of 3-111.

Pierre remained unbeaten on 33 at the other end.

Jeremiah Lewis ended with figures of 3-78 while Sheeno Berridge picked up 2-72.

Carty was head and shoulders above his teammates when the Leewards replied, scoring 95 before he dismissed caught and bowled by Khary Pierre.

The Leewards were in some trouble then at 196-6 as several top order batters got starts but failed to carry on. Monctin Hodge scored 21, Kofi James 23 and Terrance Ward 21 were the only scorers of note.

However, Rahkeem Cornwall once again showed his worth with the bat and was unbeaten on 33 when stumps were drawn.

Hayden Walsh was at the crease with him on 18.

Pierre has so far taken 2-51. Bryan Charles 2-65 and Yannic Cariah 2-24 did the damage for the Red Force.

Former West Indies Test batsman Darren Bravo scored an even 100 to lay the foundation for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force’s first innings total of 369-8 at stumps on the second day of the West Indies Championship second round match against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at North Sound on Thursday.

The Red Force resumed from their overnight score of 151-3 with Bravo on 74 and Yannic Cariah at the other end on 32.

They extended their fourth-wicket stand of 69 to 101 when Colin Archibald trapped Cariah leg before wicket with the score at 186. Shortly after, Archibald dismissed Tion Webster for six as TT Red Force slipped to189-5.

Bravo and Jangoo set about repairing the damage but the score had reached 227, Bravo was bowled by Sheeno Berridge for exactly 100. He had faced 229 balls and hit 10 fours and two sixes.

Jangoo and Imran Khan began a lower-order rally adding 51 for the seventh wicket when Jeremiah Louis dismissed Jangoo for 52.

Khan assumed the role of senior batter and together with Terrance Hinds put on 81 for the eighth wicket as Trinidad progressed past 300 runs and began to push towards 400.

Hinds was eventually dismissed by Kofi James for a run-a-ball 51.

At stumps, Khan remains not out on 68. At the other end Khary Pierre is not on nine as the match heads into its third day.

Louis has so far taken 3-56 and Berridge 2-78. Archibald has 2-83.

West Indies all-rounder, Roston Chase, starred with the ball as the Barbados Pride strengthened their lead atop the West Indies Championship table with a dominant innings and 22-run win over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Friday’s third day at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The Red Force started the day 51-3, needing 110 more runs to make the Pride bat again, and they got off to the worst possible start after Chase removed Jason Mohammed for 10 to leave the score at 55-4.

55-4 became 64-5 as opener Keagan Simmons was next to go for 31, caught off the bowling of Chase.

Yannic Cariah was the only other batsman to put up any resistance, finishing 35 not out as Joshua Da Silva (14), Imran Khan (2), Terrance Hinds (1), Uthman Muhammad (7), and Shannon Gabriel (8) all fell in quick succession to restrict the Red Force to 139 all out, condemning them to their second straight outright loss.

Chase took 3-26 from 12 overs while Akeem Jordan and Justin Greaves were also instrumental with 3-31 off 11.1 overs and 2-27 from nine overs, respectively.

Final scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 133 and 139, Barbados Pride 294.

Former Cricket West Indies head of corporate communications and Director of Communications for Guyana’s chief opposition party, Imran Khan, has died after a brief battle brought about by Covid-19 complications.

Khan who worked for several years with regional cricket’s governing body, formerly known as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), had spent the last 8 days in the intensive care unit before going into respiratory failure on Tuesday.

At the time of his death, Khan, who was 43, worked for the Alliance For Change (AFC) as head of their communications unit. During the coalition APNU+AFC’s time in office from 2015 to 2020, he also sat on several State Boards including that of the National Communications Network (NCN).

On Sunday Khan had expressed thanks for the outpouring of support he had received and vowed to keep fighting.

“Thank you for all your love, prayers, messages of encouragement, and support. I am overwhelmed beyond explanation and I am in excellent spirits…Please be assured that I am fighting and there is no giving up. One Love,” he wrote.

According to numerous reports, the communications expert was not vaccinated and did not have any underlying disease.  Khan’s wife, Tammy,  an attorney, later also tested positive for the disease and was admitted in the ICU but was discharged on Monday.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force recorded their fifth win in a row to end the preliminary round of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup with a perfect record and 20 points.