Twenty-one year-old all-rounder Rachad Forde is now in Trinidad & Tobago where he has taken up a cricket contract.
Before leaving the island last Wednesday, Forde told MIDWEEK?SPORT that his burning desire was to significantly improve his game and lead his team to championship status as well as to catch the eyes of the Barbados and West Indies selectors.
He will represent CALDCO Cricket Club until February 28 when he returns to Barbados before going back to T&T one week later.
The fast-bowler and hard-hitting middle order batsman indicated that the Pinelands Cricket Academy, along with MP Hamilton Lashley and coach Rodney Simpson had given him the first break to realize his dream.
“The Academy has helped me greatly with my batting and bowling techniques and I have been able to raise my fitness level and skills application which Rudolph Odwin had first developed when I was a student at Grantley Adams Memorial School,” said Forde.
The well-built player feels that he should have been invited to national trials on the strength of his performance for Malvern in the Barbados Cricket Association’s?competitions last season.
“I scored four centuries, including one off of former Division one side, Bristol and I took 54 wickets, including seven for 22 against the Alleyne School,” stressed Forde.
Even so, the focused youngster, who represented Barbados at the CARIFTA Games in 2010 and is one the fastest runners in the country, plans to maintain his excellent fitness regime and drive to get better as he wants to master the expected slower pitches in T&T which have been the bane of Barbadian teams over the years.
“Trinidad are dominating regional cricket at the moment and I believe that my game can only get better once I apply myself to this golden opportunity,” concluded Forde.
Forde noted that he has been getting some offers to turn out for a number of Division one teams in the 2012 season and he would be considering his option before making a decision.
