FORMER TRINIDAD and Tobago and West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree told finalists at the Price Club Under-19 North/South Classic on Wednesday that there is no better time than now to make their claim for a spot on the West Indies team.
Badree was speaking to the enthusiastic bunch at the National Cricket Centre in Couva prior to their 50-over title match.
A statement issued by the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) on Monday said that Badree was “very disappointed” with the performances of the Caribbean cricketers playing at home in the Under-19 ICC World Cup in January.
He said the team failed to advance to the knock-out stages of the competition and also did not make an impression in the plate play-offs.
Badree said “cricketers with mediocre accomplishments were being picked to represent the region which could explain the lack of favourable results.”
[caption id="attachment_955088" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Former world number one T20 bowler Samuel Badree addresses players before the Price Club U19 North-South Classic at the National Cricket in Couva on Monday. From left are TTCB executive members Parasram Singh, operations manager Dudnath Ramkessoon and president Azim Bassarath. - Courtesy TTCB[/caption]
He told the youngsters that they must “never give up on their dream of playing for the West Indies as he was not selected at that level until he was 31.”
The 41-year-old said that only 25 per cent of youth cricketers graduate to the senior level and some cricketers are late bloomers, pointing out that having been selected for the WI, he ended up with two ICC T20 World Cups (2012 and 2016).
He told the young cricketers that they were fortunate to participate in age group tournaments organised by the TTCB and also noted that he also never participated in those developmental programmes.
Badree played 52 T20I for the WI and took 57 wickets, and also claimed 187 wickets in 197 T20 matches.
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