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.