(Trinidad Express) While West Indies Test captain Denesh Ramdin, who was in the West Indies squad that abandoned their tour of India last month, has said he has been axed as Trinidad and Tobago captain for the upcoming four-day tournament, T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) third vice president Patrick Rampersad has denied such a decision has been taken.
Ramdin was summoned to a meeting with the TTCB executive at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre in Balmain, Couva where he assured the executive that he is available to represent T&T in the four-day tournament and will resume training with the Red Force today.
But the West Indies wicket-keeper believes he is being victimised after being told that the TTCB will be moving in a different direction with all-rounder Rayad Emrit leading the team for the duration of the season.
“It was to talk about playing for Trinidad so I told them yes I will be available for Trinidad and I said yes no problem I will be at training tomorrow (today) and then they said I am no longer the captain,” Ramdin told the Express yesterday.
“In moving forward they are trying to go in a different direction. I am axed as captain and they announced Rayad Emrit will be captain going forward for Trinidad and Tobago,” he added.
This is contrary to what Rampersad told the Express following yesterday’s meeting.
Rampersad said the executive cannot make the call to remove Ramdin as captain without the selectors making a recommendation to do so.
The third-vice president insisted to his knowledge no such recommendation has come from the current TTCB selection panel chaired by Alec Burns.
However, Burns told the Express that they did make some recommendations, but could not reveal what they were. He said they could only make recommendations and that the TTCB executive will have to make the final decision.
“I think it is more victimisation because they were asking me questions about India and my lawyer said not to talk about it so I think they were trying to get more information on that aspect,” Ramdin explained.
“They say they are hoping that this new leadership will make a difference in Trinidad and Tobago cricket and that it is unfortunate that a guy captains a team for ten games and when we (West Indies players) come back they don’t get the results they want,” Ramdin added.
“So I said how could I be West Indies captain and play for T&T under somebody else. When I was captain for the four-day and the 50-over teams and Dwayne (Bravo) was captain for West Indies’ one-day squad the guys said because he is one-day captain and it would look bad if he comes back to play for T&T under somebody else so he captained the team for the Super50. Now it is the same situation if I am captain for West Indies and have to come back to play under somebody else,” said Ramdin.
Speaking to the Express on Saturday, TTCB president Azim Bassarath confirmed the meeting with the T&T players and also insisted the players “cannot be victimised” despite the board’s condemnation of their decision to abandon the India tour.
Despite the current situation, Ramdin said he is more focused and determined than ever to come out on top.
“I think they are trying to victimise me and some of the other players, but I am not going to let it disrupt me mentally,” he said.
“I am just trying to get back into the right frame of mind to play and I know we have a couple of games before going to South Africa so I will just try to get myself mentally prepared. We have a game against Barbados at the Oval so that is my main focus right now, to get out there and be playing cricket again and those other things I will leave it up to God because he knows best,” Ramdin explained.
He also wants to use it as motivation to raise his game.
“I think this is going to make me stronger as well. In the past things like this had happened to me and I used it as something to motivate me and I think it brings out the best in me. I am going to use it… It is something that is going to drive me going forward and I am going to do well again no doubt about that,” he added.
