National cricketer Akeal Hosein will replace fellow left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh in the T&T squad to face the Windward Islands in the fifth round of the West Indies Cricket Board Professional Four-Day Cricket League, which bowls off on Friday.
Kantasingh, who had some solid performances earlier in the season, had a disappointing performance against Guyana in the last round at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain which ended on Monday. In the match, which Guyana won by an innings and 49 runs, Kantasingh ended with figures of 31 overs, five maidens, 81 runs and zero wickets.
Hosein, now 22, had a breakthrough year in the 2013-2014 Four-Day competition. The Queen’s Park player contributed with both bat and ball during the season, which included his maiden first class century (102 not out) and a ten-wicket haul (11/67). Hosein is hoping to have a strong season again as he fell away in the 2014-2015 season.
After the Guyana defeat, T&T coach Gus Logie said he does not want to make many changes as he still believes in the current crop of players. “We believe in the players and we are sticking with them and we want them to believe in themselves as well.” Logie was disappointed with all aspects of the T&T game against Guyana and said the players need to analyse themselves. “We have to assess conditions and think the game some more and be prepared to fight a bit more.”
The coach said T&T showed some fight at intervals, but it was not enough. “We showed some fight at some quarters of the game. In the first innings our opening bowlers demonstrated some fight and showed what was necessary, but in the second innings only two players stepped up. Only Narsingh (Deonarine) and Kyle (Hope) looked the part but after that nothing. It is frustrating.”
Fast bowlers Uthman Muhammad and Marlon Richards shared in a ninth wicket partnership of 108 in the first innings, while Deonarine and Hope combined for a third wicket partnership of 104 in the second innings.
T&T now lies in fourth position on the six-team standings with one win, one draw and two losses. T&T will aim to bounce back against the Windward Islands at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia.