Windies cricket in good hands: Navin Bidaisee

…Trinidadian youth cricketer emulates Chanderpaul

By Brandon Corlette

Such a bright but blooming career – the 18-year-old Trinidad and Tobago youth player Navin Bidaisee is among the gifted and promising cricketers in the Caribbean. The Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 Captain, who sat down in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, informed this reporter that he has always admires the West Indian great Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
“He was always my role model,” the Trinidadian left-handed batsman disclosed. In the 2018 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 tournament, Bidaisee was appointed captain of the Trinidad team in what he recalled as a successful campaign.
In the three-day format that was won by the Trinidad and Tobago in the 2018 CWI Regional Under-19 tournament, Bidaisee accumulated 222 runs in the three matches he played. The elegant left-handed stroke maker had an excellent average of 55.5 with two half-centuries alongside his name. His highest score in that tournament was a swashbuckling 93 against Jamaica 9.
The left-handed opening batsman, who was born on January 24, 2000 and resides in Alphonso Street, Biche, Trinidad and Tobago, bowls leg spin. “Education is a key part of our holistic development in Trinidad and Tobago and it is taken quite seriously by the nation’s youth cricketers as the majority are in highly-regarded schools in the country and succeed both on the field and in the classroom, though it’s very tedious,” the Trinidadian youth player explained. Bidaisee was fortunate to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 level, and was once a West Indies Under-19 selectee.
He is motivated by his parents, Alvin Bidaisee and Cheryl Kalipersad, with his father Alvin being his main motivator and personal coach from the beginning. Bidaisee, who started playing at age 3, has a highest score of 136* against Carapichaima Secondary School. He attended the elite Queens Royal College where he wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and successfully graduated. While enjoying a great youth career, he furthered his studies at the Hillview College, where he is presently a second-year Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) student.
Virat Kohli, arguably the best batsman in the world, is Navin’s favourite international player while his local heroes are Red Force’s opening batsman Jeremy Solozano, who notched up a century in the ongoing CWI Regional 4-Day tournament, and the current Red Force Captain Imran Khan. Bidaisee’s short-term goal is to break into the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force senior team and to further represent West Indies teams.
The talented youth player, who is also a mystery leg-spinner, has a best bowling figure of 5-5 against Fatima College. In the 2018 CWI Regional Under-19 three-day tournament, Bidaisee followed up his 222 runs with 12 wickets at a bowling average of 16.5 with his best bowling figure being 4-31. The Calcutta Sports Club player has been amongst the noticeable young players in his country and he will be one for the future.