T&T players warned

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):Chief selector Dudnath Ramkessoon warned national players leaving for the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 that they risk losing their place in the national team.

Ramkessoon, an executive member of the T&T Cricket Board, said he was concerned about the exodus of players to the newly formed league and warned if other players performed he would be duty-bound to select them.

"If you give others an opportunity in their absence however, and they take that chance it would be difficult to get rid of them when the players return (from the BPL)," he said in an interview with the T&T Newsday.

Three T&T players were picked up in the BPL auction on Thursday - Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons - and are likely to miss three rounds of the Regional 4-Day tournament, as the BPL is scheduled for February 9 to 29.

T&T face the Combined Campuses & Colleges (February 3-6), Barbados (February 17-20) and Windward Islands (February 24-27) during the same period.

"It will continue to be of concern for us," said Ramkessoon. "I've asked the manager (Omar Khan) to provide information on when they will be leaving (for Bangladesh) and returning. The absence of the players will provide an opportunity for others but missing players is always a concern."

bread and butter

He said: "It's their bread and butter and the players will ply their trade on the international arena. We will continue to produce players and lose them as well but we have to make the adjustments.

"The (T20 leagues) are a major attraction and players would want to play in them. These leagues must have got ICC approval, though, so they must be aware of what is happening."

He also praised West Indies captain Darren Sammy opting out of the BPL to play in the regional tournament and prepare for the visiting Australians.

"As captain, (Sammy) has a commitment to West Indies cricket so it's good to see him make that decision but that is a decision for each individual to make," he said.