THE Trinidad and Tobago Secondary School Cricket League (Powergen SSCL) national schoolboys team are currently in India and making their inaugural outing in the International Schools Cricket Premier League (ISCPL) T20 tournament.

The ISCPLT20 is being hosted by the City Montessori School based in Lucknow. The biannual series has also attracted school teams from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal for the competition.
The T&T schoolboys have created history by becoming the first team outside of the Asian sub-continent to participate in the competition which started in 2011 and was won by a Sri Lankan school team.
During their preparation for the tour, experienced West Indian sports broadcaster Brij Parasnath assisted team coach Keshava Ramphal in helping get the players fired up to return home triumphant.
Parasnath had delivered a motivation/mental toughness lecture and also passed on valuable training and coaching tips during their intense training session at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre, NCC, Balmain and during their two successful T20 practice matches against a UWI St Augustine Campus selection at St Augustine and a University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) team at their O’meara Campus.
The respected broadcaster called upon the players to take their training sessions and practice matches seriously with an aim to improve all areas of their game plan.
He stressed that: “Whatever you do in your training session will reflect and materialise in the actual game situations. It’s important to be dedicated and learn from each workout as it will eventually help to raise everyone’s overall performance. Total team spirit is essential and eventually you will achieve the team goals.”
Parasnath also outlined some of the major benefits for the tour and attempted to get the players to be highly motivated and to perform at their best.
He advised the players that “they will be seen not only as the Trinidad and Tobago team but as a West Indies schoolboys team and that they have a much bigger responsibility and must strive to win the competition and create a positive legacy for other teams from the Caribbean region. Every member must be a very good ambassador for the region and the game.”
In the motivation session, Parasnath stressed that: “As the only team from the region, this Trinidad and Tobago schoolboys team will not only be seen and talked about as a T&T team but as a West Indies schoolboys team. So it’s imperative that all team members conduct themselves in the best possible manner and fight hard to emerge victorious in the tournament. Every player associated with the team must do everything to create a positive impression.”
Parasnath also challenged them to return home triumphantly and said: “The mission is to not only create a big impact, like the Daren Ganga-led T&T senior team in the 2009 Champions League; but to achieve a better overall result and win the tournament. This is a golden opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities and also enhance your chances of playing at the higher levels.”
He urged the players “to believe in themselves and to push hard to achieve the impossible and supersede all your previous performances.  Always maintain the positive mindset that you will be successful and never give up despite the odds and situation you will encounter during the tournament. Believe in yourself and your teammates’ abilities and support one another at all times”.
Parasnath also fired the players’ imagination of seeing themselves excelling and setting the stage for opportunities associated with playing for the West Indies teams (Test, ODIs and T20Is) and in the Indian domestic competitions.
He explained: “The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) decided to allow their senior domestic teams in their Ranji and Duleep competitions to recruit players from other countries to play in their top level competitions. So playing in ISCPL T20 competition will open the pathway for T&T’s youthful outstanding performers to be noticed and be able to secure playing contracts in the future. ”
Judging from the preparations and the strength of the composition of the T&T team, Parasnath is confident that the regional outfit will give a very good account and is capable of winning the overall title.