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For years, the Guyana Amazon Warriors were the bridesmaids of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, the 12th edition of which bowls off in Antigua today. But after whipping four-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders in an anti-climactic final at home in 2023, Imran Tahir’s side seem poised to repeat in 2024.
For one thing, they still have the wily 45-year-old South African wrist-spinner at the helm. And their bowling, which helped restrict the supposedly powerful TKR batting to just double digits when it really mattered last year, is arguably stronger this year.
(via CPL T20 Ltd 2021)
Back are indefatigable stalwart Keemo Paul, West Indies left-arm finger-spinner Gudakesh Motie and right-arm off-spinner Kevin Sinclair, who debuted for the regional white ball team against Sri Lanka in 2021.
Another Sinclair, Junior, also an off-spinner, and South African quickie Dwaine Pretorius also are in the line-up while two new faces are added to complement West Indies white ball allrounder Romario Shepherd’s efforts with the ball.
The first is long-serving left-armer Raymon Reifer, who has long been around the CPL.
The second is brand new, too-hot-to-handle quickie Shamar Joseph, who burst on to the stage with his 7/68 demolition of Australia away and his 5/33 return against South Africa at home in Tests in late January and mid-August respectively.
Photo: CWI Media
After being included in the West Indies squad for the World Cup in June but not being selected, Joseph did not disappoint for the regional white ball team in the just concluded two-Tests three-T20Is series against South Africa.
Ramanullah Gurbaz, one of the standout performers in the recent World Cup, heads the batting for the defending champions.
It would have been something of a coup for GAW to also sign his Afghanistan opening partner Ibrahim Zadran, with whom he put on four 50-plus partnerships in the ICC event. But Pakistan’s Saim Ayub is no pushover.
And for company in the top half of the batting, the pair will have WI ODI skipper Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and the big-hitting Azam Khan, a line-up not to be scoffed at.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
If Hope and Hetmyer were together able to win the last T20I against South Africa for WI, Nicholas Pooran has been impressive not just for the Maroon Men but throughout the 2024 season.
He may feel less pressure to perform at every outing, with foreign assistance coming from Jason Roy and Tim David—the USA’s Andries Gous will replace him at the start of the season.
For company at the crease, the threesome will have experienced former regional standouts Dwayne Bravo and skipper Kieron Pollard along with evergreen 36-year-old Andre Russell.
And the bowling department boasts the widely recognized skills of mystery spinner Sunil Narine as well as those of the left-handed Akeal Hosein, so pivotal to West Indies success in recent times, the ever-improving Jayden Seales and stalwart Ali Khan.
Photo: Wired868
With both these teams having something to prove and revenge being a soup best had cold, it’s hard not to imagine an epic 2024 revenge final.
That’s not to count out 2021 Champions St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, who have a strong batting line-up, including the formidable opening pair of Kyle Mayers and Evin Lewis. That duo are quite capable of devastating any bowling attack on their day.
To those, one needs to add the potentially destructive power of Tristan Stubbs, recently on show in the region, and Sherfane Rutherford, now a force to be reckoned with in any CPL middle order.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
So if the Patriots can find adequate bowling support for the tireless Anrich Nortje and his web-spinning compatriot Tabraiz Shamsi, they can perhaps reverse their 2023 results which saw them finish with a single victory.
Two more South Africans headline the Barbados Royals, who will this year be captained by West Indies T20 skipper Rovman Powell.
Fearsome left-arm finisher David Miller will be hoping to embellish the early work of destructive opener Quinton de Kock, a consistent CPL entertainer.
And who is more consistent with bat and ball in the CPL than former West Indies Test and Barbados Pride skipper Jason Holder? It’s five years since he led the franchise to victory so both his personal hunger and the team’s will likely be measurable if not palpable.
West Indian fans in general but Dominicans in particular will be interested to see where Alick Athanaze bats and how he fares in this season. Will his promotion to the opening slot in the West Indies T20 squad mean he will bat there for his CPL side?
South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj—temporarily out on international duty—Obed McCoy and Naveen Ul Haq will headline the bowling. And Maheesh Theekshana and West Indies discard Rahkeem Cornwall will help carry the load.
Photo: Randy Brooks / AFP/ CWI Media
But the Royals do not seem on paper to have the heft to pose a serious challenge.
Nor do the St Lucia Kings, weakened further by the loss of Heinrich Klaasen. Even with him, they are likely to have struggled to register a first lien on the coveted trophy.
Three-time champions Jamaica Tallawahs not still around, one might think there is no hunger theme to talk about with the team that has replaced them. But the truth is that the name has changed, the personnel, not so much.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons’ roster features familiar Tallawahs names: Imad Wasim, Brandon King, Fabian Allen and Mohammad Amir as well as Hayden Walsh jr, now no longer a Maroon Men regular.
But the package seems to lack the quality to bring home the bacon.
In a season that the meteorologists say will be a busy one, there will probably be eyes and prayers aplenty going up to the heavens. But when the Sahara dust clears, few expect the one team left standing after the October 6 final in Providence to be one of the usual suspects, the home side more likely than not.
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Earl Best taught cricket, French, football and Spanish at QRC for many years and has written consistently for the Tapia and the Trinidad and Tobago Review since the 1970’s.
He is also a former sports editor at the Trinidad Guardian and the Trinidad Express and is now a senior lecturer in Journalism at COSTAATT.
