West Indies pacer Fidel Edwards is ecstatic to once again represent the men in maroon as Cricket West Indies this afternoon officially announced the Barbadian amongst a quality list of players to take on Sri Lanka.
The 39-year-old Edwards and 41-year-old star Jamaican opener Christopher Gayle have been included as part of the T20 squad that will face the Sri Lankans in a three-match CG Insurance series.
“It is the greatest honour to be able to put on that maroon cap. I have been waiting to have this opportunity again for a very long time and it’s finally here,” Edwards told Barbados TODAY.
Now that Edwards has been given the opportunity to play the three-match T20 series commencing March 3, the right-hand fast bowler said he aims to provide the people of the Caribbean and throughout the world with some good, entertaining fast bowling.
“In this pandemic time, where a lot of people are home and dependent on television for entertainment, I am very grateful to be able to do what I love, for the region I love. I want to bring a smile to the maroon fans’ faces and play a part in giving them joy in these tough times. Hopefully, we can continue our winning ways in this format of cricket.
“My main goal on any tour is to win. Hopefully, I can contribute to that and give a good account of myself, but the aim is to win the series 3-0 and build some momentum going into the World Cup,” said Edwards who last played against Sri Lanka nine years ago.
As someone who has a vast level of experience, Edwards said he has been in constant conversation with captain Kieron Pollard and coach Phil Simmons about a specific role he will play in the team. Pollard will lead the Caribbean side in three T20 matches and three One Day Internationals.
“I have been having constant conversations with the coach and captain and they have outlined a specific role for me to play in this setup. I am very willing to share my experiences with all of the other fast bowlers. However, if you look around our team, there is a remarkable amount of experience generally, so I will be looking to learn a lot from the other players as well. I am here to do whatever West Indies cricket requires of me,” Edwards explained.
“I am very confident! The way I see it, we have some of the best T20 players in the world. It will be very tough to beat us in any part of the world, especially if we begin stringing together good performances. Winning this series is a small part of the process we need to go through to win that World Cup,” Edwards said.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
