T&T match with BARBADOS in DOUBT?

According to a report in the Daily Nation newspapers in Barbados with LESS THAN TWO WEEKS before Barbados oppose defending Carib Beer Cup champions

Trinidad and Tobago, the players, selectors, administrators and spectators are at a loss to where

the opening match of the 2007 regional cricket championship will be played.

Chairman of the Barbados cricket selectors, Joel Garner is calling for the four-day match, which starts on January 4, to be played at the North Stars Ground in St Lucy which is known for assisting fast bowlers.

The former West Indies fast bowler made the call shortly after he announced a short-list of 15 players for the four-day match and a squad of 16 for the KFC Cup One-Day match on January 9 against the Trinidadians.

"Ideally, common sense would tell us if we are going to play Trinidad, we should play Trinidad at a place like North Stars. We would ideally like to go to North Stars because the wicket is more or less suited to our kind of cricket, a good bouncy wicket," Garner told reporters on Sunday.

West Indies pace quartet Fidel Edwards, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore and Tino Best have been named in the Barbados team for the four-day match, while Ian Bradshaw has been selected for the limited overs team only.

Kensington Oval was listed as the venue when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) released the fixtures in October. However, due to ongoing work at the facility, the matches will no longerbe held there.

There is speculation that the Carib Carlton Club ground in Black Rock is likely to host the game as there have been many challenges for Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) in hosting matches at North Stars which is situated in the island's most northerly parish, but Garner said no decision had been made.

"We, the (BCA) board still had to make a decision. I don't think it has been discussed or it has been vented fully," he said.

When asked later about concerns in the spin bowling department, Garner rhetorically asked: "Then, why would you want to take the game to Carlton if the fast bowlers are performing?

"I think that we have to start looking at our cricket in terms of what is best for the cricket. I think that sometimes you have to bite the bullet."

He, however, said the competition for places on the national team was very healthy and while

the selectors were disappointed that they couldn't accommodate everyone, he said it was

a good situation in which to find oneself.

"We are now in a position to say that our teams would be selected based on competition between the players as opposed to you just looking at some mediocre performances and you have to make a judgement call," Garner said.

He added that he spoke to all-rounder Ian Bradshaw and the decision was taken that the left-armer would be used in the four-day team during the season.

"I was disappointed that we had to leave out a few people, but at the end of the day, you can only pick so many and the disappointment was felt with the whole panel, but we like it like this," Garner said.