Stanford Superstars select 32-member training squad

Dave Mohammad (L), John Eugene (R)

MONDAY JULY 21, 2008 – PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Sir

Vivian Richards, chairman of the Stanford 20/20 selection panel announced an

exciting and diverse group of players in a 32-man Stanford Superstars training

squad to prepare for the Stanford 20/20 for US$20M match against England on

November 1 in Antigua.

The senior West Indies quartet of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle,

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo are the most notable names in the

squad, which also includes Stanford 20/20 2008 Player of the Tournament Dave

Mohammed, the left arm spinner from Trinidad and Tobago.

Also included is Mohammed’s Trinidad and Tobago teammate and leg spinner

Samuel Badree while dynamic United States Virgin Islands wicketkeeper

Aldermond Lesmond is the fourth wicketkeeper in the squad along with

Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin, Lyndon James of St Vincent and the Grenadines and

Andre Fletcher of Grenada.

“This is a squad of the best performers in the two editions of the Stanford 20/20

Tournament we’ve had so far and the best players in the region, it was a difficult

task to select the top 32 but our selection panel believes that these players will

provide us with the firepower and all the other resources to prevail over England

in what is the richest prize in team sport history,” said Sir Viv, the legendary

former West Indies batsman.

The seven-member selection panel also includes legends Sir Everton Weekes,

Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Andy Roberts, Lance Gibbs and Richie

Richardson.

Dashing 18-year-old Nevisian left handed opening batsman Kieran Powell who

hit a first ball six in the inaugural Stanford 20/20 Tournament in 2006 is one of

six opening batsmen in the squad along with Gayle, Fletcher, Barbadian born

Trinidad and Tobago opener William Perkins, Jamaican Xavier Marshall and

Guyanese Travis Dowlin.

The only man to have scored a century in Stanford 20/20 cricket, 37-year-old

John Eugene of St Maarten is the oldest player in the squad which has an eclectic

mix of young, exciting players, players who are now breaking into the

international cricket scene and more experienced professionals.

“The difficult task of further reducing this training group to the playing squad lies

ahead so we will have to pay keen attention to how the players cope in the

training camps which will be held in Antigua in the coming months,” Sir Viv

explained.

Former Antigua and Barbuda and West Indies player Eldine Baptiste has been

appointed head coach of the Stanford Superstars squad and he will have Roger

Harper, the former West Indies and Kenya coach as his assistant along with

Anguilla coach Cardigan Connor.

The number of players in the final playing squad and the dates of the

preparatory camps will be announced once the details have been confirmed.

Stanford Superstars squad: Samuel Badree (Trinidad and Tobago), Lionel Baker

(Montserrat), Sulieman Benn (Barbados), Dwayne Bravo (Trinidad and Tobago),

Jonathan Carter (Barbados), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Guyana), Lennox Cush

(Guyana), Travis Dowlin (Guyana), Rayad Emrit (Trinidad and Tobago), John

Eugene (St Maarten), Andre Fletcher (Grenada), Daren Ganga (Trinidad and

Tobago), Chris Gayle (Jamaica), Chad Hampson (Antigua and Barbuda), Monctin

Hodge (Anguilla), Danza Hyatt (Jamaica), Lyndon James (St Vincent and the

Grenadines), Sylvester Joseph (Antigua and Barbuda), Aldermond Lesmond

(United States Virgin Islands), Xavier Marshall (Jamaica), Dave Mohammed

(Trinidad and Tobago), Nelon Pascal (Grenada), William Perkins (Trinidad and

Tobago), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad and Tobago), Daren Powell (Jamaica), Kieran

Powell (Nevis), Denesh Ramdin (Trinidad and Tobago), Darren Sammy (St

Lucia), Ramnaresh Sarwan (Guyana), Jerome Taylor (Jamaica), Kelbert Walters

(Anguilla), and Tonito Willett (Nevis)