Analysing GAW 2022 CPL season: The x-factor overseas death bowler was missing

By Brandon Corlette

The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) were again knocked out of the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) , and this time it was more painful for the fans, since the finals were played in Guyana for the first time.

As it relates to runs and wickets, Shimron Hetmyer (281) and Romario Shepherd (14) were the leading players in the respective departments, but those performances were not impactful enough to take the Warriors to a maiden CPL title, after 10 years of “the Biggest Party in Sport”.
In the past, GAW had that overseas x-factor death bowler in Lasith Malinga and Sohail Tanvir. This season, the Warriors trusted West Indies trio Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, and Odean Smith to perform that role, but on most occasions, the execution was not up to standard.

Shepherd then played the role of a bowler who bowls early in the innings, and he finished with 14 wickets this season, with an average of 18.28 and an economy rate of 8.82. Smith, who had an economy rate of 11.78, had some good matches while claiming 11 wickets, but he did not shine when it mattered the most. Paul, who suffered an injury and bowled only 17.4 overs in eight innings, claimed four wickets this season.

Imran Tahir, who is always in the wickets, had 13 scalps while Shakib Al Hasan, the late replacement, had eight wickets in the six matches he played. Tabriz Shamsi was very impactful with his eight wickets in the initial matches played. Gudakesh Motie claimed six wickets, while the promising Junior Sinclair had five wickets in the seven matches he played. He also won the El Dorado celebration.
In the batting department, Hetmyer had the most runs for the Warriors. The skipper scored his 281 runs at an average of 25.54, but failed to score that half-century. Shai Hope scored 252 runs after some good performances at Providence. He had an average of 31, scoring two half-centuries. Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed great promise with his 157 runs from six matches.

Chandrapaul Hemraj, who scored his 156 runs at an average of 15.6, failed to show his usual class as did Paul Stirling who scored only 15 runs in five matches. Paul, who played his best T20 Innings at Providence while scoring that 56, ended the season with 137 runs.
The stats are on the paper, and the results have shown. Warriors won five matches this season, including four in a row at home. The overall season was ordinary, but come 2023 the Warriors will be aiming to improve.
Should the Warriors make adjustments to the Head Coach Rayon Griffith and Assistant Coach Ryan Hercules along with the Logistics and Public Relations Officer? Should the Warriors change the captaincy and buy different players? These are all questions that will be answered for the 2023 season, but some of these players and support staff had their first outing with the GAW this season. Is it too early to make changes? Time will tell.