During the captains’ first press conference ahead of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which will bowl off on Tuesday, August 18, spin bowlers have been in discussion. With the entire tournament set to be played in Trinidad and Tobago across two venues in the Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, spin will play a major role at some point in the tournament on spin friendly pitches.
Placing each of the CPL squads for this season under the microscope, the teams have invested in international and local spinners. For the Jamaica Tallawahs, Nepal’s leg-spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane is expected to lead from the front along with Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman while local spinners Ramaal Lewis and Veerasammy Permaul will offer support.
Chris Green
Captain Rovman Powell said the local spinners in his team will be aiming to pick the brain of these quality international spinners.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) have stacked their squad with quality spinners. Veteran South African Imran Tahir will lead the bowling department while Captain Chris Green is a dangerous off-spinner. GAW will miss the services of Afghanistan’s Qais Ahmad but local spinners Ashmead Nedd and Kevin Sinclair are capable options of filling that third spinner slot.
During Green’s first media engagement as captain of the GAW 2020, he noted that his team have the batsmen capable of combating spin and the bowling line-up comprises that right variety. Green also shared sentiments of newbies Nedd and Sinclair.
Rashid Khan
The Australian Green noted that he is impressed with this duo and the work they have put in coming through the ranks and helping the West Indies Emerging Players to a title win in the last Regional Super50 Cup.
Imran Tahir
Meanwhile, Captain Daren Sammy and his Zouks team are not short on spin options as well. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi will lead that department while West Indies Test spinners Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall will provide back-up. Left-arm spinner Zahir Khan, Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar and Kavem Hodge are additional spin options.
Jason Holder and his Barbados Tridents team are equipped with two of the hottest leg-spinners in recent years. Rashid Khan and last year’s player of the tournament, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Praven Tambe
Additionally, Mitchel Santner, Ashley Nurse and left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop provide Tridents a solid spin attack. Holder, in his virtual press conference, said that Tridents are expecting big things from Walsh and Khan, who have proved to be dangerous spinners.
Hayden Walsh Jr.
While Captain Rayad Emrit believes that his St Kitts and Nevis Patriots team have strength in the fast-bowling department, the spin group is decent. Led by New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi, Patriots are equipped with local Trinidad spinners that are familiar with conditions at the Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Imran Khan and Jon Russ Jaggesar are the local spinners.
Sandeep Lamichhane
Trinbago Knight Riders have it all. The first Indian player to grace his presence at the CPL, Praven Tambe is an experienced leg-spinner. TKR have the magician Sunil Narine, dangerous leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed and local left-arm spinners Khary Pierre and Akeal Hosein. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is also a useful off-spinner.
Fawad Ahmad
As the CPL looms, the spinners will play an important role for any team. Will these magicians take the spotlight in CPL 2020?
