Coaches voice their views as CPL 2021 set to kick off with a bang

By Timothy Jaikarran

The six coaches representing the various Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) teams spoke with the media virtually on Monday, August 23, as to what they expect from their teams, with just a couple days remaining before the commencement of the tournament. Here’s what they had to say:

Trinbago Knight Riders – Imran Jan

The Knight Riders will kick start their CPL campaign against the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Head Coach of the TKR side, Imran Jan in a statement said, “Always excited to play against Guyana, it’s always been a rivalry that we look forward to. We had the better of them last year, but that’s done and dusted, it’s a new season and it’s going to be challenging as it pertains to a new venue and what It poses for us. But we are excited for it and the guys are up for the challenge.”
The TKR Coach noted the arrival of several big names such as Captain Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, and Colin Munro among others, and related that preparations for the TKR have been fantastic. He added that the team were in good spirits and were up for the challenge.
Jan went on to elaborate how his side would tackle the new venue. He stated that the TKR have catered for the wind factor and such as they would have bowlers bowling to specific ends of the ground, pulling back their lengths, etc, as the venue is a high-scoring one.
He also noted that the TKR camp was full of energy and personally as a coach, once he is able to motivate and inspire and make sure everyone brings their “A” game, only smooth sailing is expected from there.

Jamaica Tallawahs – Floyd Reifer

“Most of the players are here so we are awaiting two more players, but other than that, we have 96 per cent of our players on the ground. We have new faces, but we still have the core of the team; the vibes are good in the camp and we are just looking forward to getting out in the park and playing some good games,” Reifer said.
The Tallawahs will be without the services of Glenn Phillips and Mujeeb Ur Rahaman, who were the standout performers in the 2020 edition; however, Reifer has stated that the Tallawahs are focusing on playing as a unit rather than depending on one person. He noted that the unit was focused on team performance rather than one individual player. Speaking of the experienced Guyanese spinner Veerasammy Permaul, Reifer said, “He is an experienced campaigner; he played his first game for the Jamaica Tallawahs last year and did a good, so it depends on the games we play and who we play against so his roles may vary.”
Reifer also added that the addition of Chris Green to the Tallawahs line-up has boosted the squad as he will be expecting a lot from Green, who had a good stint at the Warriors. He reiterated that the Tallawahs would be expecting a lot of him and was confident that he would bring a lot to the table on and off the field.
“Based on last year’s performance I wouldn’t judge the team, the pitches, bubble life, lack of preparation coming into the tournament, so a lot happened last year that the guys are not accustomed to, so I wouldn’t put a lot on last year. I think this year guys are better prepared and yes while the situation may be the same as in Trinidad, everyone that is coming in has had some form of cricket behind them,” Reifer added.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – Simon Hemlot

“We are starting to get together and gel, it’s different during this COVID time, but it’s all for a good reason to play in the “Biggest Party in Sports”. I’m looking forward to coaching the Patriots. Our expectation is to compete in the finals and have a push in the finals; we are pleased to pick up recruits such as Sherfane Rutherford, Ravi Bopara, etc. I am happy that we have players such as Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Rayad Emrit which will bring a blend of experience which is helpful in the T20 squad,” Hemlot said.
He went on to state that having the addition of Rutherford, a Guyanese, in the squad was a big boost to the middle order. “I think he will be strong in the middle order; he is versatile, he is all-round and can bowl. So, guys like Sherfane bring that X factor and they can complement the Patriots talent here. He didn’t have a good season at the Warriors last season, but I’m hoping he can have a really big season here at the Patriots.”
The Patriots Coach has noted that the addition of the fans this season would be a blessing. He added that while last season was different, he is confident that this season the team would be looking to make amends for their horrendous performance in 2020.

St Lucia Kings – Andy Flower

Head Coach Andy Flower has noted that it is going to be a short lead-in into the Kings’ first game, as the team have had limited sessions and no practice games. He related that while things were slightly disjointed in terms of the build-up from the first game, the team were excited. Flower added that he was looking forward to working with Kings Captain Faf du Plessis and was hopeful that he would turn out for their first match. Flower also boasted that the Kings have strengthened their seam attack with the addition of Obed McCoy, Kesrick Williams, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph and Wahab Riaz. Also, in the spin department there are Usman Quadir, Roston Chase and a few local spinners. The Kings Coach has stated that he is confident in the squad and that it has an equal balance of talent, experience, and youth.
In terms of his expectations of Keemo Paul, Flower said, “The first time I saw Keemo was when I was touring the West Indies with the England Lions: he had a lot of energy, he can affect the game with bat, ball and fielding and that is exciting. I’ve yet to meet up with him and get an update on his fitness. He is going to play a part in the tournament and I expect him to play some match-turning games. But I do anticipate that he will play a part in our first game.”
He also relayed that the Kings were aware of the standards they have to meet if they want to win, but the Kings would be focusing on the first few games and not the end results.

Barbados Royals – Daniel Vettori

The Barbados Royals are one of the few franchises in CPL to have a strong squad on paper. They have the likes of Mohammed Amir, Glenn Phillips, Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, and Hayden Walsh Jr among others. Head Coach Daniel Vettori has stated that he has enjoyed working thus far with the spinners – Hayden Walsh Jr, Ashley Nurse and even Glenn Phillips who many know as a wicketkeeper/batsman. Vettori has noted that Oshane Thomas is looking fantastic and the Royals will need his bowling as he will be more effective as the pitch degrades over time.
“I’m excited to work with Jason Holder and he has been successful as you can see by his record. Like all tournaments it’s the domestic players that can lead you to victory so Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr, so, I think we have a lot of things required to do. In terms of Glenn Phillips’ addition to the squad – from a batting perspective, he can be successful, you see the energy he brings and he can bring the energy in the team. However, we want to tap into his bowling and once the conditions suit spin bowlers, the conditions will suit him and you can definitely see him putting in a few overs.”
Vettori has laid down the law as it pertains to the team’s marquee bowler, he reiterated that the way he works is to get into a routine with the bowler of what his best defensive and offensive ball is and he knows that the Royals have got experienced bowlers so the contribution would be more of a collective as a bowling unit.