Ramdin relishes another chance

Test cricket is the ultimate challenge, asserts Trinidad stumper

The 26-year-old has had a reasonable career -- he has played 42 Tests and almost twice as many one-dayers -- but the very facet of his game that fast-tracked his entry into international cricket, his batting, let him down badly as he was dropped from both the Test and one-day sides some 15 months back.

Currently in India with the Trinidad & Tobago team for the Champions League, Ramdin’s flagging career received a boost a couple of days back when he was picked for the Test and limited-overs series in Bangladesh next month.

He is the lone ’keeper in the limited-overs team but will have to battle it out with incumbent Carlton Baugh in the longer version.

“I am delighted to be back,” Ramdin said here on Saturday afternoon, shortly before T&T’s practice session in preparation for Monday’s match against the Mumbai Indians. “I really worked hard at my game and I hope I can perform better.

“I wasn’t getting much runs at the international level, so I went back to domestic cricket and got a lot of runs. I think the selectors were satisfied with that and now I am back.

During my time out of the West Indies team, I got support from many players. My friends in the team helped me as well and they wanted me to do well and get back."

Ramdin, vice-captain before he was left out, said he hadn’t given the prospect of becoming the captain, or the omission scuttling his chances of rising to the helm, any thought at all. “I just concentrated on my game,” he offered.

“Hopefully, I will open the batting and play at the top of the order.”

The gathering debate between Twenty20 and Test cricket was without basis from a players’ perspective, the wicket-keeper added. “Playing for the West Indies is very important. We are a small country and we have some talent out there.

“I have always loved Tests and ODIs because there, you have more time to settle down and the chances of coming back into a match are good but in Twenty20, one ball can cost you the match.

“Yes, there are sponsors who love Twenty20 and many people say Test cricket is dying, but it is one form of cricket that a lot of players love playing,” continued Ramdin, who has ‘no clue’ about his Indian connection. “Test cricket challenges you at many levels,