By Roger Seepersad

Copyright trinidadexpress

Having secured his first call-up to the West Indies T20 team, leg-spinning all-rounder Navin Bidaisee is now focussed on staying in the mix with an eye on the next World Cup in 2026.

Bidaisee said he was “truly blessed” after earning his first West Indies selection, describing the call-up for the upcoming T20 International series against Nepal as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

He also noted that while being selected is a major step forward, it is not the final goal.

The Windies named five uncapped players in a 15-member squad that will face Nepal in three T20Is in Sharjah next week. Regular captain Shai Hope, along with a few other regular members of the squad, will be rested for the series.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein will captain the side.

The five uncapped players are top-order batter Ackeem Auguste, Bidaisee, leg-spinner Zishan Motara, left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds, and wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo. Also picked is batter Karima Gore, who has represented the USA in eight T20Is, but is yet to play for West Indies.

“I think it’s a huge step. It is one I wasn’t expecting as yet, but grateful nonetheless. As I did in CPL, I honestly just like to grab my opportunity. There’s definitely a World Cup coming up and a lot more tours, so once I could keep myself as a regular in the team, I think it will be good for me,” Bidaisee told the Sunday Express.

“It has always been a dream and a goal of mine and it is just a blessing, and I am happy that I could accomplish that goal,” said the 25-year-old former Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 leg-spinner and all-rounder who was a stand-out player for the T&T Legions in the West Indies Breakout T20.

Bidaisee’s path to the regional side has come through hard work in the Breakout League and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), tournaments where he felt he was able to prove his worth in both departments.

Bidaisee grabbed ten wickets in for the Breakout T20 champions, T&T Legions, and then he snatched seven wickets and scored 117 runs with one half-century for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the CPL.

“In the Breakout, the role I was given was the all-rounder role. So, I always backed myself. I always believed in myself as an all-rounder. I’m happy that I could have showcased what I can do with my time involved there,” he explained. “It was the same going into CPL. I just kept believing in my ability with both bat and ball and I’m happy that I could have showcased especially what I can do with the ball. I know the West Indies is always looking for a leg-spinner, so I’m happy I could have showcased that and get that opportunity.”

Bidaisee revealed that he leaned heavily on advice from experienced professionals during his recent stints in franchise cricket.

“In the Breakout League, I had a quick conversation with Samuel Badree. He was just explaining to me how he used to go about training. We do have some similarities, especially with training,” Bidaisee said. “I had a lot of great conversations with Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers and all these guys. I even got a chance to speak to Imran Tahir after one of the games. So a lot of experienced players have spoken to me. I got some ideas off them and they were more than willing to listen and give me some advice.”

He stressed that consistency and preparation have been key to his progress.

“Nothing in particular, but it’s basically all around just trying to stay good with the bat and stay consistent bowling-wise. I always just stay fit physically and mentally,” he said.

Still, the journey has been far from easy. Bidaisee admitted frustration at the limited chances he had at the domestic first-class level.

“I think it’s been a long road to be honest. It’s been difficult, especially in these recent years…. I only played one game for Trinidad in the four-day. I would have liked to play more, but I always believe in God’s timing and everything is according to his work. So I’m happy everything is working out now. Now it’s just for me to try to stick, stay fit, and try and stay in these teams.”

Search for improvement

Bidaisee said his bowling style—based on accuracy, changes of pace, and control—has been effective so far, but he is eager to improve further.

“There’s always room for improvement in everything. As you mentioned there, our bowling style—myself and Badree—we don’t really spin the ball much, but the main thing is we’re accurate. I’m accurate in my line and my length and varying my pace as well. So that’s been working well for me. We’ll continue to stick with that and obviously try to work on getting the ball to spin a bit more. I think once I can do that, I’ll be a lot more effective.”

The leg-spinner is looking forward to playing alongside both experienced and younger members of the West Indies side, with particular interest in learning from fellow Trinidadian Akeal Hosein.

“Well, I’ve been familiar with Kyle and Jason by now. I am a youngster, so I’m really excited to play alongside a young, vibrant group. I guess one player I’ll be looking to pick his brain is Akeal (Hosein). I’m looking forward to speaking to him in terms of bowling and even about bowling in the Powerplay, which is something I would like to add to my game as well.”

Asked about local rivalries, Bidaisee insisted the bigger picture is what matters.

“There’s always rivalry locally. But at the end of the day, we’re both going to represent the West Indies, so we will definitely be on the same page. I’ve played a couple of games with him (Hosein) as well. He’s a cool guy and he’s always intent on getting the best results on the field. I’m familiar with him, we have some time in the same circle, so I’m looking forward to just learning as much as I can from him.”

He also offered advice to aspiring youngsters, cautioning them against expecting a straight path to success.

“Lots of youngsters may feel like it is a straight and easy road and a straightforward journey, but it’s never like that. Everyone has their different journey to go through. Just keep believing in yourself and keep training hard, keep working hard. I am now actually getting to see all the hard work that I put in being rewarded. It’s just about timing. So, once your time is now, you just grab it with both hands and just go and make the most out of it,” he added.