THE leadership qualities of Denesh Ramdin will play a crucial role if Trinidad and Tobago are to follow up on their regional T20 success with similar results in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day tournament.

T&T manager Omar Khan said yesterday that the team will be playing with a new commitment under wicketkeeper Ramdin.

"The leadership of Ramdin has made a difference in him impressing upon the players that our T20 dominance is just one aspect of it, but if you want to move on as a true professional cricketer the ultimate aim is to play Test cricket, and in order to do that you have to play the four-day game well."

To achieve this, Khan said, the team administration has set new objectives and goals for the national cricketers to assist with their development and understanding that the regional four-day tournament is the stepping stone to a career in the top flight.

"The cricketers have bought into that, and we see it as one of the major factors in terms of us trying to win the four-day tournament."

Khan said key to the success of the T&T team is the ability of the batsmen to show patience, flexibility and proper shot selection, along with adherence to line and length in the bowling.

The manager said national team coach David Williams has been doing an exceptional job, along with his assistant Kelvin Williams.

"David has been doing a fantastic job in helping them understand their goals and objectives."

Khan said the current tour by Canada is ideal preparation for the national team. In the three-day match at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, which ended yesterday in victory for the home team (See story above), three T&T batsmen—Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed and Yannic Cariah—reached triple figures.

"It indicated that they are adjusting from the 20-20 format to the longer version of the game."

In speaking about the T&T bowling, Khan welcomed the return of spinner Amit Jaggernauth.

"We have young Cariah, along with the pace of Ravi Rampaul and Shannon Gabriel and Reyad Emrit who has been around, so we have experienced players who have played for T&T for a number of years, and it's time now that they show the younger ones what is required to win this four-day tournament."

Khan said the series against Canada provides a welcome opportunity for Rampaul to get back into top shape as he completes his recovery from injury which has kept him out of the T&T and West Indies teams.

He added that the younger players will also have a chance to address the national selectors, headed by former national player Alec Burns while Dudnath Ramkessoon recovers from illness.

Khan said there is a lot of cricket to be played this season, leading up to the Champions League T20 in India, and many will bid for national selection in the three formats of the game.

"We have the players and the strength on the bench to do well and win the tournament. We have a number of young players who want to stand up and say we are ready to take our place in the national team."