AZIM BASSARATH, president of the T&T Cricket Board has strongly defended the national selectors and the Red Force senior men's team from criticism following their disappointing results in the just concluded Regional Four-Day Tournament.
Speaking at the annual prize-distribution function of the South East Zone of the TTCB on Saturday in Princes Town, Bassarath took aim at comments made by former national captain Daren Ganga, and manager of the Queen's Park Cricket Club team Jeffery Guillen.
Speaking to a local television station on Friday, Ganga slammed the national selection panel comprising Raphick Jumadeen, Tony Gray and Lincoln Roberts, and called for the resignation of the TTCB in the wake of the let down.
Bassarath told a packed Tahir Ali Centre at La Paille Extension Road, that instead of making unfair and demoralizing statements in the public domain, he should instead acknowledge the courageous and visionary decisions of the TTCB's technical team.
He pointed out that ten players on the national team's roster had no more than a score of First Class matches among them, and were the best-selected based on results of performances in the 2017 season.
Bassarath said that it was a commendable “leap of faith” by the national selectors to pick Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Isaiah Rajah, Jeremy Solozano, Kharry Pierre, Bryan Charles, Akeil Cooper, Ruston Primus, Stephen Katwaroo and Ewart Nicholson.
The local cricket chief also heaped praises on team captain Denesh Ramdin and all-rounder Imran Khan who performed with distinction and both emerged second overall in the regional batting and bowling averages respectively.
He also commended Jason Mohammed for his exceptional batting in the four matches he played, scoring two centuries in the process, after coming off straight from a stint with the West Indies One-Day and T20 International team on tour in New Zealand.
Bassarath also made mention of Yannic Cariah who made an encouraging start to the season with a magnificent century at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba against Jamaica.
“Instead of looking for scapegoats and ascribing blame Ganga should instead see the bright prospects that these young, talented players hold for the future of T&T cricket. He should take off his blinkers and give encouragement instead of rubbishing their efforts,” said Bassarath.
He revealed that Ganga continues along a path of negativity that has become toxic and reminded the audience that the ex-cricketer has been in influential positions where he could have made a meaningful contribution to developing cricket.
“But alas, Ganga lives in denial of his failure to lift a finger to make a difference as his record at the Tourism Development Company, and association with the Sport Company of T&T attests.
“His lobbying on behalf of a fashion-show promoter with whom he had close ties, and for the foreign investors of the Caribbean Premier League are well-documented in Hansard, the official record of Parliament, as divulged by Minister of Tourism Shamfa Cudjoe in giving an account of how taxpayers' money was misappropriated,” said Bassarath.
He said he understood the bitterness and anger Ganga feels after two failed attempts at being elected to top positions on the Cricket Board, and advised him that elections will come up again soon, and if he so desired could again throw his hat back into the ring.
Bassarath also responded to comments made in the Guardian newspapers recently by Guillen who, like Ganga also slammed the national selectors and called for the heads of TTCB officials.
He said he also sympathized with the Parkites' official whose emotionalism and misguided venom have apparently been caused by his anger at the non-selection of someone close and dear to him.
“But the player was repeatedly given a fair shake of the selection process, but could not make the transition. That is not the fault of the selectors, or the Cricket Board,” said Bassarath.
He said that local cricket is being guided by safe and secure hands and what is needed now is unity and a focus on support for our young cricketers and not on finger-pointing and apportioning blame.