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Brathwaite urges rookies to have fun in UAE

Kingston - New West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite does not want Rovman Powell and Nic Pooran to feel pressure when making their debuts this month, and says they must try to enjoy the trip to the UAE to face Pakistan.

Powell and Pooran were hugely impressive in the Caribbean Premier League earlier this year, earning their call-ups, and Brathwaite, a relative youngster himself, feels enjoying the moment will see them reap rewards.

Brathwaite said: "Go there, express yourselves, continue to be exciting and eventually win games for the West Indies.

"It's a big task to represent the West Indies, and away from home is probably a little easier because you don't have family in the stands with that extra pressure.

"You're just surrounded by your team-mates and it's a good team to be in at the moment, so it's just about going there and continuing to do the things that they did to get themselves here and do it for longer periods.

"It's a higher stage, more pressure, but I'm sure they can continue with it and do well.

"The selectors were very big in ensuring that some young players are blooded and rubbed shoulders with some of the best T20 players in the world so we can continue our legacy of being dominant in this format, and those were two of the guys who fit the bill at this point in time."

The skipper also advised his players to stay hydrated in the desert summer heat: "It's for the players to prepare well, manage themselves well off the field, rehydration-wise, get enough rest.

"Each and every one of us is a professional and we know what our body needs to be an optimal thing to perform, so it's just about us doing things we do off the field, planning well, preparing well, and evidently performing well when the games come."

The first T20 is on 23 September.

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