Khan says T&TCB must show interest in Pooran

Former manager of the T&T cricket team Omar Khan says that young batting sensation Nicolas Pooran needs to be handled using a systematic approach. Pooran spanked an imperious 143 against Australia Under-19 in the quarter-final of the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 World Cup in Dubai on Saturday night. The West Indies were tottering at 70 for eight when Pooran hammered 143 and take them to 207. Unfortunately his efforts were in vain as Australia went on to win the match and move into the semis.





The masterclass innings gained Pooran great accolades with cricket pundits going as far to say that he should be fast-tracked into the West Indies senior team. Khan who managed Pooran when he came into the national team said: ”It is premature to suggest he should be on the West Indies senior team. He first has to establish himself on the T&T team in regional cricket and then make the grade. There is no doubt that he is destined for international cricket but we need to deal with his development in a systematic and proper way.



“In addition to doing his own personal training, he needs to be taken under the wings of good coaches organised by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), probably sent to the High Performance Centre (HPC) and then monitored. The important thing here is Pooran’s development being monitored. Once he works with the coaches his progress has to be tracked in order to keep him on the right development path.



“Monitoring of our players has been a problem in West Indies cricket for too long and it has to change. Structures need to be put in place to have the guys monitored and working and doing the right things when their coaching sessions at the HPC for example are over. “Pooran is a very good cricketer, he has a good head on his shoulders and will make it big with the right type of guidance. He has very good parents and this is a good thing for him. They are always very supportive of him and they are a close knit family which helps. However, the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) must show that interest in this special talent and chart a proper future for him.”