Four TT players in President’s XI squad
Thursday, May 19 2016
FOUR TRINIDAD and Tobago Red Force players have been selected on the President’s XI team to play South Africa in a day/night one-day game on May 29 at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair.
Selected for the 50-over match are TT ’s Nagico Super-50 title- winning captain Jason Mohammed, Twenty20 ace batsman Evin Lewis, former Red Force skipper and pacer Rayad Emrit and newcomer, off-spinner Jon Russ Jaggesar. South Africa will be using the match as preparation for the Tri-Nation series that will be contested from June 3-26 in the Caribbean. The tournament which also feature Australia and the West Indies.
Under-19 World Cup stars Shimron Hetmyer and Alzarri Joseph have also been included in the 13-man WICB President’s XI squad.
Hetmyer led Young West Indies to the capture of their first-ever ICC Under-19 title when they defeated heavy favourites India by five wickets in the final in Dhaka.
Joseph, meanwhile, was superb throughout, finishing with 13 wickets to be one of the leading fast bowlers in the tournament.
The President’s XI squad, which will be captained by Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite, also includes Test players Jermaine Blackwood and Shane Dowrich.
Jaggesar has been rewarded for his stellar form at the NAGICO Super50 where he picked up 14 wickets in the Red Force’s successful title defence.
“I am a bit excited and overwhelmed after learning about me selection on the President’s XI team. I had a good Super50 and Regional Four-Day tournament so I was preparing myself for an opportunity like this,†said Jaggesar.
The President’s XI selection caps a remarkable season for Jaggesar who forced his way into the Red Force limited-overs and Four-Day team as well as earning a Caribbean Premier League contract worth US$15,000 with the Jamaica Tallawahs.
“It has been a fabulous year for me. I know once I get the chance I have to hit the ground running.
Being in this circuit is a lot of hard work and sacrifice and the past six months has been a great learning experience for me,†the 29-yearold explained.
The Caldrac Club captain is aiming to extend his good form against South Africa which could even unlock more opportunities for the off-spinner.
“Well I am looking to get it right again and execute all of my deliveries and use my vacation against the South African batsmen if I am chosen to play. Hopefully I can get wickets in the match and possibly this would give me an opportunity to play at the next level,†said Jaggesar.
The Red Force off-spinner revealed that he is looking forward to coming up against South African batsmen AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock. “They are two very good cricketers and I believe that if you want to be the best you have to compete against the best and be successful against such calibre of players,†Jaggesar explained.
SQUADS - WEST INDIES PRESIDENT’S XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Jermaine Blackwood, Damion Jacobs, Shane Dowrich, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Alzarri Joseph, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Nikita Miller, Rayad Emrit, Delorn Johnson.
SOUTH AFRICA: AB de Villiers (Captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi.
www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,228000.html
