Ganga cleared to play Champions League

Daren Ganga, the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) captain, has been cleared to play the Champions League in India next month after his employers, Petrotrin, had initially refused to grant him leave for the Twenty20 tournament.

Ganga, who works as a community relations officer with the state-owned oil company, wrote to the T&T Cricket Board, West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board stating his case but his request for time off was granted only after two politicians stepped in.

Jack Warner, a vice-president of football's governing body FIFA and a member of parliament, had acted first by contacting National energy minister Conrad Enill, who then intervened to get the leave sanctioned for Ganga. Warner was very critical of the company's attitude towards to an employee who has represented West Indies in senior cricket.

"I still can't believe in this day and age, people are still being refused time off to represent our country, particularly by a state-owned company. Petrotrin should be ashamed," Warner told CMC. "Imagine that. Using your annual leave and sick leave to go on national duty. This is absolutely ridiculous."

Ganga leads a 15-member squad for the Champions League which runs from October 8 to 23. Trinidad is the only team representing West Indies in the tournament.