SPORTS
Come on Beckles
ANDRE RUSSELL wants to score again on Trinidad and Tobago soil, but this time as a Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) player and help the franchise bounce back from a disappointing start in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2022 T20 tournament.
TKR are at the bottom of the six-team table with three points, having won one match and lost two. TKR’s next match ended without a result.
TKR will aim to get off the table against leaders Barbados Royals at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, from 7pm on Tuesday.
The Royals have been perfect this year winning five games in a row to start the tournament and are at the top with ten points.
TKR arrived at Piarco International Airport on Monday to a warm welcome, in which the Siparia Rhythm Posse, moko jumbies, cheerleaders and mascots were all part of the festivities. The event was organized by Carib, the official beer of TKR.
Speaking to the media at the airport, Russell said: “Not the start we wanted. We all know what we can do… it’s actually nice to enjoy losing and getting that experience, getting that feeling in a locker room with so many (many) star players.
“Everybody’s hungry now. We are at home. The amazing reception we’re getting now, which will just set the pace for (Tuesday)…we’ve got to make sure we get the cricket ball and the cricket bat talking (Tuesday).
Russell has had memorable matches in Trinidad. Playing against TKR as a Jamaica Tallawahs player in 2018, he scored a century and grabbed a hat-trick in the same match at Queen’s Park Oval.
He hopes he can give the fans in Trinidad something to cheer about.
“Actually, I’m already getting chills. Being in red (and) not yellow will be something special. Maybe going out on the pitch to go and bat, I know I’ll have a warm welcome. Last time I played here I scored 121 (not out) and (completed) a hat-trick in one game as well. I thought it was just something special. If I do this in this color, these people will probably buy me dinner for the next year.”
TKR’s fearsome hit hasn’t caught on and that’s one of the reasons the TT franchise is at the bottom of the rankings.
Sunil Narine has continued to open the race for TKR this year, without success.
Russell, who is also Narine’s teammate with Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders, believes Narine can produce the goods.
“I have no doubt in Sunil. He’s just trying to get the team off to the best possible start and with the bat, the new ball – we all know the new ball falters at times, and he’s a clear-headed guy. He knows what he can do, and he knows what you want to do, and he tried to do that the last couple of games, and it just didn’t work out. Being at home in his conditions, I think he will definitely give us the start we need.”
Russell said once openers Narine and Tion Webster get off to a positive start, it will set the platform for the rest of the batting, which includes skipper Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Colin Munro.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein suffered a groin injury in TKR’s opening match against St Lucia Kings and it is not known when he will return.
“It’s progress,” Hosein noted. That’s all I can say for now and hoping to get back to the park soon.
Hosein said he has all the support he could ask for.
“Every cricketer wants to be on the field and wants to be on the park and play, but having said that, at the end of the day we’re human and I’m very grateful to the backroom staff. They’ve done a fantastic job trying to get me back there as quickly as possible.”
REGULATION
Team*GP*W*L*NR*Pts*NRR
Royals * 5 * 5 * 0 * 0 * 10 * 1.818
Tallavahs*5*3*2*0*6*0.830
Kings * 6 * 2 * 4 * 0 * 4 * 0.086
Patriots*6*1*3*2*4*-1,579
Amazon Warriors*4*1*2*1*3*0.073
TKR*4*1*2*1*3*-2.178
