Adrian Barath to be honoured today

Trinidad and Tobago opening batsman Adrian Barath will be honoured by his first cricket club, Esperanza Sports Club, from 3.30 p.m. today for his impending West Indies debut away to Australia later this month.

Barath will be conveyed by motorcade throughout the district of Enterprise, Chaguanas, after some brief comments at the corner of Longdenville Road and Peyton Avenue, towards the Esmeralda Recreation Ground, where the formal proceedings will take place from 4.30 p.m.

Among the expected attendees are newly-installed Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath, along with T&T cricket captain Daren Ganga, Member of Parliament for Chaguanas East Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and a representative from the Chaguanas Borough Corporation.

’I think as a cricketer I’ve achieved my goals I’ve set out (so far),’ Barath told the Sunday Express yesterday, ’first in the Under-19 team, then the national senior team, now the West Indies.

’As a person from the community, everyone has supported me, from Esperanza Sports Club, my family, my dad (Ralph) especially, all the clubs I’ve played for past, and the present, First Citizens Clarke Road.

’It’s a very great honour indeed for me to now represent my area and, by extension, Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies.’

The former Presentation College Chaguanas student is happy to get a second chance to make a good first impression in international cricket, after his selection for the visit of Bangladesh was interrupted by the impasse between the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in July, when the frontline regional players snubbed the Bangladesh series over failed contract negotiations, among other issues.

The teenager is happy to know that things are ’back to normal’ and revealed he was always confident he would be re-selected once the issues were resolved.

’As a player, you have to be prepared for any mishaps in your career,’ Barath explained.

’It will always have obstacles and you have to be able to get around it.

’I’m 19 years and I’m not going to let anything keep me down, or from achieving my goals and staying on track.

’Being a top cricketer is my aim and even with 20/20 cricket, Test cricket is (still) the benchmark (of international cricket) and I didn’t let that (impasse) get in my way.’

Barath and the other T&T players in the regional team to tour Down Under-all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, pacer Ravi Rampaul and wicket-keeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin-will leave Trinidad on Tuesday to meet the full squad in Barbados, from where they will fly to London en route to Australia.

The first Test of the three-Test series-at the Gabba in Brisbane--bowls off on November 26.