Pollard leads star-studded T&T side for hurricane relief match

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A star-studded Trinidad and Tobago squad has been named to face a Darren Sammy-led Regional Invitational XI for next week’s hurricane relief celebrity charity match here.

West Indies Twenty20 star Kieron Pollard will lead a side that includes  off-spinner Sunil Narine, brothers Darren and Dwayne Bravo, former Test captain Denesh Ramdin and batsman Lendl Simmons.

Evin Lewis, the hard-hitting West Indies T20 and one-day opener, is also in the line-up along with the exciting Nicholas Pooran and Windies one-day player, Jason Mohammed.

Baldath Mahabir, a member of the local organising committee for the match, said the T&T players had been anxious to play participate in the venture.

“The Red Force squad is one of the greatest Twenty20 team ever assembled. I am delighted that the team is reuniting to play in the Charity T20 match to help raise funds for our Caribbean brothers and sisters affected by the hurricanes,” he said.

“Every player was eager to be a part of this match and it shows how much they wanted to contribute to the relief effort and do their part to help those affected by the hurricanes.”

The Invitational XI will feature T20 batting star Dwayne Smith, former Windies speedster Fidel Edwards and limited overs off-spinner Ashley Nurse.

Olympic medallist, Jamaican Yohan Blake, will also be a part of the line-up.

The match, scheduled for October 14 at Queen’s Park Oval, has been organised as a joint venture by Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), the T&T Cricket Board and Queen’s Park Cricket Club, and hopes to raise TT$1 million (US$148,085) for Caribbean countries affected by the recent passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

SQUAD – Kieron Pollard (captain), Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Ravi Rampaul,  Kevon Cooper, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Shannon Gabriel.