Having argued successfully that a champion team deserves to play for a champion's wage, the national team can earn itself as much as $40,000 under the latest Angostura incentives scheme.
In particular, team T&T can guarantee itself of $20,000 for winning the 1997 tournament and completing a regional One-day hattrick. The $20,000 jackpot represents a significant increase over the 1996 incentives the T&T players collected for retaining the Shell/Sandals trophy.
``Being the champions, we decided to come back to Angostura. Winning the tournament the last couple years, we just got $2,500,'' explained manager/coach Rangy Nanan.
The ``we'' here included some of the team's senior players, captain Brian Lara and fast bowler Ian Bishop.
And now, having successfully presented their case, the players have lots of cash to play for.
Apart from the money for winning the Bowl, players can also earn $2,000 for every match they win, $1,000 for every century scored and $300 for each 50.
In addition, the bowlers can pick up $1,000 for a five-wicket haul in a match and $500 for four wickets. And at the end, the best batsman (at least 300 runs) and the most outstanding bowler (15 wickets minimum) can walk away with a further $2,000.
And if Lara's words are anything to go by, then the sponsors can start counting out the money.
``We will be going out there to cost you as much money as possible,'' the captain quipped.
On a more serious side, Lara remained as confident as ever about the possibilities of his team doing the ``trick''.
But he was also glad that his side would be beginning the tournament against Bermuda, a team only into its second year of regional competition.
It is an experienced squad that will fly out for Jamaica this morning, hoping once more to silence the reggae with their soca.
Vice-captain Phil Simmons, who has just competed in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament with a West Indies team, is expected to join the squad tonight. And he will take his place in a team that can also call on good utility players in opener Andre Lawrence and left-arm spinner and lower-order batsman Ken Hazel.
Lawrence, according to Lara could get the job to partner Suruj Ragoonath due to his good form, although there is also the possibility of Ian Bishop, scorer of a One-day 50 as an opener against Sri Lanka, filling the slot.
Following is the T&T squad: Brian Lara (captain) Phil Simmons (vice-captain), Suruj Ragoonath, Andre Lawrence, Lincoln Roberts, Richard Smith, David Williams, Ian Bishop, Rajindra Dhanraj, Dinanath Ramnarine, Mervyn Dillon, Nigel Francis, Ken Hazel, Darren Ganga.