PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force are keeping their fingers crossed that veteran fast bowler Shannon Gabriel will recover in time for their opening fixture in this month’s 2025 Regional 4-Day Championship.
The Red Force will be without the services of their West Indies fast bowling trio Terrance Hinds, Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales for their opener, with the tournament set to bowl off on January 29.
Phillip and Seales are part of a West Indies squad for a two-Test tour of Pakistan from January 17-29, while head coach David Furlonge said Hinds had been permitted to play in the January 11 to February 9 International League T20 tournament.
The 36-year-old Gabriel, who retired from international cricket in August 2024 after featuring in 86 matches for the West Indies between 2012 and 2023, is recovering from a knee injury he sustained at the end of the 2024 CG United Regional Super50.
Furlonge said while they had previously indicated to Gabriel that he was to make way for the younger bowlers, the situation had changed drastically.
“Last year, we discussed with Shannon, and he agreed to step aside to give the younger players (like Anderson, Terrance and Jayden) a run. With them being unavailable, we hope Shannon will be available.” Furlonge told Newsday.
“This will force us to focus on certain areas … those were the three fast bowlers who played for us last year.
“They will miss the first game, so right away, you have three openings there for three fast bowlers. I’d like to think we would go with three fast bowlers and not three spinners.
“That will be an opening for three young fast bowlers, so we will have to start preparing those youngsters or whoever has to fill in there,” he pointed out.
With young pacers Fareez Ali, Shaaron Lewis, Justin Manick, Aaidan Racha and Abdul Raheem-Toppin doing their best to impress with the ball in Red Force’s trial match in December, Furlonge said the competition in the fast bowling department will be stiff.