National cricket squad named
Cayman Islands team celebrates in the ICC T20 Americas Qualifiers earlier this year
(CNS Local Life): Cayman Cricket has formed a selection committee and named a team manager and 33-man national squad ahead of the T20 World Qualifiers in 2019.
The announcement follows a successful ICC T20 Americas tour in Argentina earlier this year, and the players will be aiming to impress the selectors over the next 10 months, Cayman Cricket said in a press release.
The Cayman Islands team finished runners up in Argentina and will face Bermuda, Canada and the US in May next year in the world qualifiers. Canada and the US have progressed after beating Belize and Panama in the other T20 Americas Qualifier in Morrisville, North Carolina this week.
The national team selection committee, named at a board meeting held 11 September, comprises Pearson Best, Ian Goodall, Ezrah Hewitt and Peter Anderson (chairman).
More names may be added to the national team during the season, based on performance, fitness and attendance, with Cayman Cricket continually re-evaluating the squad throughout the next 10 months.
Cayman Cricket also announced that Ricardo Roach has been named team manager and will travel to the tournament to support technical director Peter Anderson.
International Cricket Council (ICC)rules state that Cayman can travel with 14 players and four reserves for the tournament, plus coaching staff. The 18 players will have to be submitted to the ICC at least 30 days before tournament commences, stated the press release.
Cayman Cricket’s technical director, Peter Anderson, said about the squad, “It will be a very competitive year – and players will need to impress the selectors. A large squad was named to give the opportunity to all the players to compete for a place.
“The three teams we are up against, including Bermuda, are all ranked a lot higher than Cayman. Funding-wise too – they are well above us. This means they get a lot more opportunities to gain cricket experience at a high level.
“USA has received a lot of help and funding from ICC along with help from the Australian and New Zealand cricket board. It will be a very tough competition, but anything is possible in T20 cricket – and we will be travelling to win, not to make up the numbers. One over can change the game in T20, so it levels the playing field between the teams.
“Cayman will prepare well and we will go out there with the right attitude. I have been part of Cinderella stories with smaller nation cricket teams in the past – so I know that anything is possible.”
Cayman Cricket president Abali Hoilett, added: “It was important to appoint the selection committee at an early stage so that we can get a good look at the players over the coming months. The goal of the selectors is to select a balanced side to play T20 cricket, and the players selected will need to be the best across all the specific skills involved in T20 cricket.”
