PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago coach David Williams has welcomed the change in format for next month’s Caribbean Twenty20.

For the first time, all teams will play each other in a round-robin preliminary round instead of being divided into zones, when the tournament bowls off from January 6-20.

“The round-robin didn’t happen in South Africa, which was a one-off qualifier,” he said, referring to this year’s Champions League Twenty20.

“We’re happy with the new format. We’re happy to play against all the teams and that augurs well for the team that wins the tournament.”

T&T will start as defending champions for the third straight year, after beating Jamaica in the final at Kensington Oval to win the 2012 edition.

Ironically, they will raise the curtain on the tournament with a clash with Jamaica at Queen’s Park Oval, a fixture that is expected to set the stage for the tournament.

Williams, a former West Indies assistant coach, said T&T were confident of victory especially with the strong squad that had been chosen.

“We have a good mix of youth and experience … and once we play to our true potential, we can win the tournament again,” said the former West Indies wicketkeeper.

“We’re fully confident … the team we have is one with lots of experience. I’m certain once we have experience, we can win the tournament again.

“We have quite a few players who were members of the victorious West Indies teams, as well as others who are capable of great things at this level. We have included a few new, young players who are eager to represent T&T. The signs are all positive.”

Another championship conquest will give T&T another berth in the CLT20 and a chance to make amends for their failed 2012 campaign.

They bowed out at the qualification stage after their first game against Sri Lankan side Uva Next finished in a no result and they lost their second game to English County Yorkshire.

“In South Africa it was tough. We knew [if we lost] one game, we were out,” Williams conceded.

“We did prepare very well prior for that tournament, but we just didn’t play well enough in that game, particularly when bowling. That knocked us out.”

The first half of the CT20 will be played in Trinidad with the second half, along with the playoffs and final, scheduled for Beausejour Cricket Stadium in St Lucia.