Adrian Barath gears up for return

Adrian Barath, the Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies opener, will return to competitive cricket during the Caribbean T20 tournament which starts on July 22 in Barbados. Barath last played competitive cricket during the IPL, before injuring his knee in April and undergoing rehabilitation.

Barath played a warm-up game against Combined Campuses and Colleges earlier in the week, and felt confident about the tasks that lay ahead. "I have not played any 'real' cricket since the IPL (Indian Premier League earlier this year) so it was good to get back in action earlier this week. I got a half-century in the first match so that was very good. I am feeling strong again and I'm really looking forward to the Caribbean T20," he said at the Queens Park Oval.

"It was good to get some batting under my belt and it was good to get acclimatised to the conditions in Barbados. I'm feeling really confident with my form going into the tournament."

Barath made an immediate impression in the Champions League Twenty20 in 2009, representing T&T, and hit the limelight with a century on Test debut against Australia in Brisbane. T&T had qualified for the Champions League final last year, where they were beaten by New South Wales, and they'll will be keen to participate in the tournament in South Africa later this year. Barath said winning the Caribbean T20 was the first priority. "Our main objective is to win the Caribbean T20 and after that look towards the Champions League. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves and focus on the Champions League and lose track of what we have to do in the home tournament," he said.

"The Caribbean T20 won't be a walk in the park. We are playing against some very good teams with some very talented players. Everyone will be playing hard and everyone wants to win. That will make it a very interesting tournament and we know it will be very competitive.

"It is a milestone for any team to go to the Champions League. We had a tremendous time last year. It was a great experience playing in front of those huge crowds and it was special the way we performed as a team. It is something every cricketer would love to experience."

T&T meet Canada in the tournament opener at the Kensington Oval.