CPL 2019 | Tournament Preview, Key Players, Prediction: The biggest party in sport all set to go again

It’s another edition of the Caribbean Premier League, the self-proclaimed biggest party in sport, and it promises plenty of excitement. Already in the build-up to the tournament, there’s been drama – St Lucia Stars were terminated by the CPL management – according to reports, non-payment of salaries were a key cause of the axing – and the Darren Sammy-led St Lucia Zouks have been included in this year’s competition.

Zouks were the original St Lucia representatives in the CPL, and now that they have made a comeback, the dream would be for them to win the title. While that might seem far-fetched, it might not entirely be out of the realms of possibility, given they have a decent squad, with the likes of Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella and Fawad Ahmed in there, apart from Sammy.

The smart money will be on Trinbago Knight Riders to retain the title, even accounting for Dwayne Bravo’s injury, which has ruled him out for most of the tournament. They have Brendon McCullum as coach, stalwarts like Sunil Narine and Colin Munro in the set-up, and game-changing all-rounders in Jimmy Neesham and Kieron Pollard, the new captain.

However, there will be plenty of backers for the Jamaica Tallahwahs. And why not. They have Chris Gayle and Andre Russell in the line-up – enough to post scores well in excess of 200 – and the bowling will be shored up by the likes of Oshane Thomas and Jerome Taylor. Elsewhere, Alex Hales will be the big name at Barbados Tridents, and if he can gel with the likes of Jason Holder, Shai Hope and Asif Ali, Barbados will have a good season.

The same goes for the Guyana Amazon Warriors – Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer should give them punch in the batting, while Shadab Khan, Ben Laughlin and Chris Green add weight to the bowling. Carlos Brathwaite is the big name at St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and with Mohammad Hafeez and Sheldon Cottrell in there, they could throw a few surprise punches.

All in all, this seems like fine cocktail for a great tournament. Once started, the party will get wilder as it goes on.   

Key players

Andre Russell (Jamaica Tallahwahs): Russell has shown his immeasurable prowess in T20 cricket, and especially, franchise T20 cricket. He will be key to everything good about Jamaica, and if his form in other franchise leagues this year – the IPL chief among them – is anything to go by, the opposition will have to duck for cover.

Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders): With Dwayne Bravo injured for most of the tournament, the onus will be on Pollard to carry most of the expectations on the all-rounders. Pollard has not quite been the same force in T20s as he was at his peak, but he can still prove to be a game-changing force, as shown at various points this year. The defending champions will hope for more of that.

Lasith Malinga (St Lucia Zouks): The Sri Lankan legend has still got it – that much has been evident during his performances for his national side during the World Cup and subsequent bilateral T20Is. He still opted to retire from ODIs, but can be quite a force in limited-overs, with his yorkers and his variations. The opposition can’t afford to take the Zouks lightly, because of this one man.

Shai Hope (Barbados Tridents): Alex Hales is a big name for the franchise, but more key for them will be Hope. The West Indies youngster has tremendous potential, and has already, in international cricket, laid waste to some of the best bowlers in the world. If he can find his best form and sustain it over a month, the Tridents can have a great tournament.

Sheldon Cottrell (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots): The paceman was huge for West Indies during the World Cup, and though he couldn’t quite recapture that magic during the limited-overs matches against India, he is expected to rise to the occasion, salute and all, in the highly-charged atmosphere at the CPL. Expect that salute to do the rounds.

Prediction

Any T20 tournament is difficult to predict, given the volatile nature of the format and the matches. That said, simply given the power within the line-up, Jamaica Tallahwahs seem primed for the title. With Chris Gayle at the top, Andre Russell in the middle and Oshane Thomas charging in with the ball, they have some of the best West Indies can offer. They are the team to beat.