Darren Ganga talks about how T&T can strike a blend between being entertaining and being effective.

Trinidad and Tobago are the only team in the Champions League Twenty20 representing the conglomerate of island nations that make up the Caribbean.

Dominic Patrick Franks: Darren, tell us a little bit about your team.

Darren Ganga: If you look at our team it's a side that has tremendous balance. We've got guys who can come from nowhere and deliver the goods. As you know in our final practice game, Lendl Simmons who don't really bowl that often came on and bowled his four overs and took two wickets. So we've got players who I can call upon at different times to ensure that we adjust as a team to the conditions that are presented to us.

DPF: When fans look at line-ups of teams from the West Indies they're always wondering who's the one who's going to be breaking the speed gun. Tell us a little bit about your bowling attack.

DG: Sometimes speed can be overrated especially in a format like Twenty-20. We've got an interesting mix of spin bowlers now. Dave Mohammed has played more international cricket than all our other spinners. The most economical bowlers have been Sherwin Ganga and Samuel Badree who picked up the award for the most economical bowler in the Twenty-20 awards. I think all these guys are going to play a part; as much as Dwayne Bravo, as much as Rampaul, you know the senior guys. It's about making the right decisions so that the team comes out on top in the end.

DPF: What would you say is the hallmark of this Trinidad & Tobago side?

DG: Our hallmark is our chemistry as a team, our unity, our ‘teamness' if you want to call it that. We're focusing on what we're capable of doing- which is playing our Caribbean style of cricket, making sure we can plan properly, making sure we can execute well as team so that we get a few victories in this tournament.

DPF: You talked about ‘the Caribbean style of cricket'. What exactly do you mean when you say that?

DG: Well I think that everyone is aware that in world cricket different countries will have their own unique styles of play. Australia will play different from India and vice versa. The West Indies have a custom of natural flair, players who have natural ability. That is exactly what we have as a team.

DPF: Besides the established stars in the team, Trinidad & Tobago are still a relatively unknown entity. Can you tell us something about who could be the next big star from your team.

DG: Of course you would know the players who've played international cricket like Dwayne Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons. But I think there are other guys who've come to the fore at different points in time. I can't really tell you any names but what I can tell you is this- when our team gets into a tough situation we've always had someone coming to the fore and delivering so that we are successful.

DPF: How important is it to the team that you aren't just representing Trinidad & Tobago but the entire West Indies?

DG: It's very historic. It's the first time that we as a Trinidad & Tobago team are playing outside the region. The guys in our team are excited by this opportunity. We are aware there's been a lot of controversy surrounding our international side, but again our focus over here is to ensure that we play quality cricket and represent not just Trinidad & Tobago but the entire West Indies in the best possible manner.

DPF: Are the ongoing contract disputes between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Player Association a big distraction for your team? Dwayne's come out with some scorching comments on ‘going freelance'. Will all of this take away from the task at hand as a team?

DG: (laughs) Not exactly. This is something that's a work in progress. It's something that been going on a for a couple of years now. We've grown accustomed to it. It's very frustrating as players to see what is happening. All we're concerned about is making sure that we can deliver on the field, so I think that all the players are going to be keyed up come Tuesday.

DPF: Finally Darren, at the opening ceremony in Bangalore, after the three Indian captains you and Gilchrist got the biggest round of applause. Did that surprise you?

DG: (big smile) Of course! It was very surprising. Probably the Indian public and the Indian cricketing public have a warm spot for West Indian cricketers, so we're very happy for that support. So hopefully tomorrow they will all be for us in terms of supporting Trinidad & Tobago over Somerset; but again I think it's all about what we do in the middle in terms of winning today.

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