No decision on Ramdin T&T captaincy

Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath has denied that Denesh Ramdin has been removed as captain of Trinidad & Tobago Red Force for this year's regional competitions. On Tuesday, Ramdin, recently elevated as West Indies' Test captain, had claimed that the TTCB was trying to "victimize" him for abandoning the India tour last month. However, Bassarth countered that, saying the TTCB executive had not yet taken any decision on Ramdin, who continued to remain captain.

"We have not appointed any new captain," Bassarath told ESPNcricinfo. "There is a recommendation from the selectors that we appoint Rayad Emrit as captain of the team from next week. The executive of the board has yet to sit and decide whether we accept or reject the recommendation. Ramdin is still the captain of Trinidad & Tobago cricket team."

The TTCB executive board is scheduled to meet this weekend to take a final decision, Bassarath said. "When the selectors met to pick the team they realised the Denesh would have been in India playing a complete tour. Immediately after that he would go to the South Africa tour. And after that he would go directly to the World Cup. So Denesh was not going to be available to play for T&T for the 2014-15 season. Hence the selectors made a recommendation [to think about appointing another captain]."

Emrit remained a favourite, Bassarath said, only because he had lead T&T successfully last season. "You must remember in the 2014 season, Emrit did lead the team with distinction, where we lost the regional four-day tournament by one point."

Bassarath, who is one of the WICB directors, insisted that it was not correct on Ramdin's part to allege that he was being pulled up for quitting the India tour after the players failed to break the deadlock with the WICB and West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over the Memorandum of Understanding and combined business agreement signed by the latter two in September.

"I am axed as captain and they announced Rayad Emrit will be captain going forward for Trinidad & Tobago," Ramdin told the Trinidad Express on Monday after attending a meeting with the TTCB at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, Trinidad. "I think it is more victimisation because they were asking me questions about India and my lawyer said not to talk about it so I think they were trying to get more information on that aspect."

However, Bassarath rejected that claim and also added that whatever decision TTCB would take would have no bearing on the on-going talks between players, WIPA and WICB. "That has absolutely nothing to do with this."

Patrick Rampersad, the T&T third vice-president, was equally categorical about Ramdin's public pronouncement being incorrect. Rampersad told ESPNcricinfo he was present at Monday's meeting, which was attended by the top brass of TTCB: Bassarath, Suraj Ragoonath (chief executive), former West Indies player Gus Logie (head coach), along with the treasurer and secretary of the board.

The meeting, Rampersad said, was scheduled to also include Darren Bravo, who did not turn up. "We had arranged the meeting with Mr Ramdin and Mr Darren Bravo," he said. "Mr Bravo did not show up. Based on what has happened over the last few weeks we wanted to talk to them about their commitment to T&T cricket."

Rampersad said about a month ago the national selection panel recommended Emrit as a captain for the T&T team. "That was accepted by the executive. Ramdin is the regular captain of the four-day team. Because he was on West Indies duty we had to appoint somebody in the interim. That is done every year. When then the regular captain comes back and is eligible to play he takes over."

According to Rampersad, Bassarath asked Ramdin how he would respond if he was told that the executive had received a recommendation from the selectors that they prefer to continue with the same captain appointed from the beginning of the season regardless of Ramdin's availability. "The president also pointed out that this can be done only after the executive ratifies such a recommendation," Rampersad said. "But he took that to mean that he was fired."

Rampersad also refuted Ramdin's claim that the TTCB executive tried to "ask him questions" over the pull-out from the Indian tour. "That was totally untrue. One question was asked, 'What transpired in India?' He said he could not speak about it because that was the advice from the lawyer. That was the end of the matter."