PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago’s senior cricket team contesting the WICB Regional first-class championship should be bolstered for their next match by the return of fit-again West Indies opener Adrian Barath and middle-order batsman Darren Bravo. Both players are yet to feature in this year’s regional four-day tournament but have now been cleared to play and the selectors will over this weekend release the team for the sixth-round game against the Windward Islands, scheduled to begin next Friday at Queen’s Park Oval.
Barath suffered a torn hamstring muscle against Australia in the second Test two months ago while Bravo has recovered from a shoulder strain and has actually returned to competitive cricket for his local club Queen’s Park CC.
Speaking to CMC Sport, the 19-year-old Barath said he hopes to play domestically for Queen’s Park CC before stepping up to the higher level.
“I have been doing some batting and my regular exercises and hopefully I will get in a local game for my club. I am still receiving therapy and regular treatment from my doctor Anil Gopiesingh and physio Asha De Freitas.
“I am definitely targeting play against the Windward Islands when T&T come up against them at the Oval. West Indies have a series against Zimbabwe coming up at the end of the month, so I would like to get in and get some runs to address the selectors with that series in mind.
“Hopefully when I re-start my cricket, I would have an injury-free year,” Barath said.
Meanwhile, the left-handed Bravo, who represented the West Indies against England in the limited overs series in the Caribbean last year, is also anticipating a return to the national team’s line-up.
The 21-year-old has been passed fit after his shoulder injury and it is now up to the selectors to name him in the squad.
Trinidad and Tobago, idle this weekend while the other teams are contesting fifth-round matches in Guyana, are fourth in the standings with 21 points after four matches.
The Windwards are behind T&T in fifth with 16 points. Jamaica lead the standings with 36 points from three outright wins, followed by Barbados (33) and Combined Campuses and Colleges (24).