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2021 CPL Thread

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Flex:
TKR trade DJ Bravo to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH (T&T NEWSDAY).

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) has agreed to trade former captain Dwayne Bravo to the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the 2021 Caribbean Premier League.

In return, the four-time champions will receive veteran wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin from the Patriots.

A statement issued by T&T franchise, on Friday, said Bravo, who had been with the team since CPL inception in 2013, made the switch in search of a new challenge.

Bravo said, “At this stage in my career, I needed a new challenge, which is to work with the young talent for the benefit for Cricket West Indies.

“I want to thank TKR for respecting my wishes and for all their support over the years. I also appreciate everything they have done for T&T in general.”

TKR director Venky Mysore also heaped praise on Bravo’s contribution, which played an integral role in affirming the squad as one of the most feared and respected CPL teams.

He said, “DJ Bravo has not only been instrumental in building TKR into a champion team but also captained the team which earned three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. We are sad to see him leave but we respect his wishes and his desire to help Caribbean cricket.”

The TKR statement also credited captain Kieron Pollard, who led the team to victory at last year’s edition, which was played in a bio-secure bubble in Trinidad without spectators.

They also announced that Sunil Narine will serve as vice-captain of the squad.

“We welcome back Denesh Ramdin to the TKR family and look forward to the 2021 season and defending our title.”

This year, the CPL will be hosted in its entirety at Warner Park in St Kitts, bowling off on August 28. The 33-match tournament will allow fans to attend at up to 50 percent capacity of the 8,000-seat venue – once proof of covid19 vaccination is presented.

Flex:
Rayad Emrit: St Kitts/Nevis Patriots to be reckoned with in 2021 CPL
JELANI BECKLES (T&T NEWSDAY).

ST KITTS/Nevis Patriots captain Rayad Emrit is anticipating the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament after it was announced that the entire tournament will be held at Warner Park in St Kitts. Emrit also believes that Patriots can be a force to be reckoned with in 2021 after years of disappointment.

On Tuesday, it was revealed on Zoom that the tournament will be held in St Kitts from August 28. Among those who attended the virtual media conference were St Kitts/Nevis Minister of Sport, Education, Youth and Culture Jonel Powell and CPL CEO Pete Russell.

Fans will return to the CPL this year as, from next month, the St Kitts/Nevis Government will allow 50 per cent capacity at sporting events. St Kitts/Nevis has recorded less than 50 cases of covid19 with no deaths.

Speaking to Newsday on Thursday, Emrit said, “It is good news for Patriots and their fans to have the entire tournament staged in St Kitts and Nevis. I know the fans there are starved for cricket, likewise the entire Caribbean, but at least the 50 per cent capacity of fans is something different now and the whole team will definitely be looking forward to play in front of their fans. I think it is going to be good for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and hopefully we could have the same run like TKR (Trinbago Knight Riders) had last season.”

This is the second consecutive year the CPL will be played in one country. In 2020, the tournament was played in Trinidad with matches at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. TKR ended the season unbeaten to win their fourth title.

Patriots have never won a CPL title, but Emrit thinks in 2021 the franchise cannot be taken lightly.

Last year’s tournament was one to forget for the Patriots as the franchise finished at the foot of the six-team standings.

Patriots ended with just one win from their ten matches. The Patriots best finish since tjey became a franchise in 2015 was a second-place finish in 2017.

Asked if 2021 could be the year of the Patriots, Emrit said, “I know for a fact that the management staff is trying to comprise a very good team this year. There are going to be some surprises.”

He said Patriots will turn some heads in this year’s tournament. “Most of our players who were signed at the beginning of the (2020) tournament did not turn up for whatever reason and the replacements that were there we just did not do the job, so hopefully we could put things right this year. I know a lot of work is going on in the background and we are going to be a team to be reckoned with this year.”

West Indies all-rounder Fabian Allen was one key player who missed the 2020 tournament. Allen never made it to Trinidad after missing a flight.

Warner Park is one of the smaller grounds in the region. Emrit expects high scoring matches especially in the early stages of the tournament, but said the wicket may change as the tournament progresses. A total of 33 matches will be played at the venue.

Flex:
Dwayne Bravo 'will be missed', says Trinbago Knight Riders manager Colin Borde
JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH  (T&T NEWSDAY).

DWAYNE BRAVO will not be appearing for the Trinbago Knight Riders in this year's edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament.

On Friday, the former TKR captain, who led the TT franchise to victory in 2015, 2017 and 2018, revealed that at his own request, he had been traded to the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKNP) for the forthcoming season.

Bravo’s request to change teams was agreed on by TKR management.

In return, SKNP traded wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin to TKR. Ramdin is also a former TKR player, who represented the franchise from 2016-2019.

Bravo had contributed to the TKR, four-time winners. since the inception of the CPL in 2013.

On his unexpected change of teams, Bravo said, “At this stage in my career, I needed a new challenge, which is to work with the young talent for the benefit for Cricket West Indies.

“I want to thank TKR for respecting my wishes and for all their support over the years. I also appreciate everything they have done for TT in general.”

At the 2020 CPL, which was held in a bio-secure bubble without spectators in Trinidad only, Bravo was replaced as skipper by countryman Kieron Pollard. The latter led the T&T franchise to a historic fourth title, the most won by any competing team thus far.

TKR manager Colin Borde said the animated but talented all-rounder would leave a void in the team set-up. But TKR remain intent on retaining the CPL title when this year’s competition bowls off in St Kitts on August 28.

“Dwayne will be missed for this massive contribution to TKR and its successes over the years. He has bright vibrancy, enthusiasm, energy, skill, leadership and above all humility in his approach to the game and the team members,” said Borde.

The TKR manager also welcomed Ramdin back to the squad and believes he will be a crucial asset to helping them go all the way at the 2021 edition.

In 2019, Ramdin was not retained by TKR, after spending the past four years there. He was immediately picked up by SKNP and featured under their banner in 2020.

Borde added, “Having Ramdin back with us is having one of our son's come back home. His experience and affection for playing for the local franchise will only benefit us in every aspect.

“His role on the field in keeping it all together has been proven time and time again and we are so happy to be reunited with him.”

TKR director Venky Mysore also heaped praise on Bravo’s contribution, which played an integral role in affirming the squad as one of the most feared and respected CPL teams.

He said, “DJ Bravo has not only been instrumental in building TKR into a champion team but also captained the team which earned three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. We are sad to see him leave but we respect his wishes and his desire to help Caribbean cricket.”

Rayad Emrit, who also joined up with SKNP alongside Ramdin last year, welcomed Bravo’s addition to the squad. SKNP had a rough season in 2020, as they finished bottom of the table, recording more losses than wins.

Emrit thinks Bravo’s involvement, backed by his experience, will provides the franchise with bolstered firepower, both with the bat and ball.

“To have Dwayne in our team, someone with over 500 T20 wickets, is going to be a very good addition to our team. He has great experience and has played in every single condition in T20 cricket.

“To have him to work with us, the team and the younger players, is a really good signing and addition to our squad,” said Emrit.

Losing Ramdin, however, would be a big blow to the team, since he has been versatile behind the wicket and put on some good displays with the bat at last year’s tourney.

“We’ve lost probably the best wicketkeeper/batsman in the Caribbean. Losing Ramdin…it’s hard to lose Ramdin. Buton the other hand, we got someone like Dwayne and we’re very excited to have him in our set up,” Emrit added.

This year, the CPL will be hosted in its entirety at Warner Park in St Kitts. The 33-match tournament will allow fans to attend at up to 50 per cent capacity of the 8,000-seat venue – once they present proof of covid19 vaccination.

With the tournament now being hosted in the SKNP backyard, Emrit remains optimistic the squad will fuse all these elements together to create a more comprehensive competitive unit.

“We (SKNP) just have to wait and see what the future holds for us. We’re playing in our backyard in St Kitts, with some supporters, so hopefully that 12th man can really push us on and we can start doing what we haven’t done in the past, which is getting titles.

"It’s good to have Dwayne around now,” Emrit continued.

The TKR statement also reaffirmed that Pollard will remain as skipper while spinner Sunil Narine will serve as vice-captain.

The statement concluded, “We welcome back Denesh Ramdin to the TKR family and look forward to the 2021 season and defending our title.”

Flex:
St Kitts set to host CPL 2021 – vaccinated fans to be in attendance, all matches at Warner Park
JOEL BAILEY (T&T NEWSDAY).

THE Warner Park Stadium in Basseterre, St Kitts will be the host venue for the 2021 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

In a media briefing, via Zoom, on Tuesday morning, CEO Pete Russell and Jonel Powell, St Kitts/Nevis’ Minister of Sports, Education, Youth and Culture, said that this year’s competition is set to be the first fully vaccinated sporting tournament since the covid19 pandemic.

The 2021 CPL will start on August 28 and end in mid-September with all 33 games at Warner Park.

Powell said, “During this difficult period of the pandemic, St Kitts/Nevis understands the need to position itself in the recovery, and its importance in the relationship with the CPL and the St Kitts/Nevis Patriots. We have taken into consideration our track record in relations to the covid19 pandemic and the fact that we’ve been able to weather that storm pretty well.

“To date we’ve had 44 positive cases of covid19 with no deaths and no serious illnesses,” he continued. “We’re confident in our ability to contribute to sport and, in this regard, the CPL. (On Monday), the Cabinet of St Kitts/Nevis approved the hosting of the entire 2021 CPL tournament here, to be held at Warner Park.”

Powell said, “As of the 15th May, St Kitts/Nevis will be allowing patrons to attend all sporting events to the extent capacity of 50 per cent at venues. Those patrons will have to be fully vaccinated with an approved covid19 vaccine. This will extend to all sporting events and the CPL. We are confident we’re going to pull off this tournament in grand fashion, but in a healthy one.”

Warner Park’s official seating capacity is 8,000.

“It’s very important that the CPL takes place,” said Russell, who recently took over as CEO from Damien O’Donohoe, who left the CPL to pursue other options. “I want to (give) my personal thanks to the Minister who has worked tirelessly over the last six months to ensure that this opportunity has arisen.”

Russell continued, “We’ll have 220 people (in St Kitts), in terms of the CPL cohort. Hopefully that will be welcomed, not only by the local hoteliers but the vendors on the island. It’s very important we have a TV audience that appreciates what St Kitts has to offer because they will be the window to the world, in that period.”

Russell mentioned that the tournament will be played in a bio-secure bubble, but all players will not be mandated to take covid19 vaccines before participating in the 2021 CPL.

“It’s not a requirement that they’re vaccinated,” he said. “There are quarantine options as well.”

The 2020 CPL, which saw hosts Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) complete an unprecedented 100 per cent record, was staged at two venues – Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

Russell said that the six CPL teams (TKR, hosts St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, Barbados Tridents, Jamaica Tallawahs, Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Lucia Zouks) will be utilising six practice facilities on the island, to avoid wear and tear at Warner Park, during the four-week-long competition.

Russell said no tendering process was held with regards to the 2021 event. “The government of St Kitts/Nevis have been in discussion with the CPL for a number of years. It’s an option that they took up.”

As far as the financial agreement between the T&T Government and CPL for the 2020 edition was concerned, Russell said, “Everything has been paid off. We’re also very grateful for Trinidad for hosting last year, in trying conditions.”

The 2021 CPL draft is expected to take place in late May, according to Russell.

Flex:
No overseas players on Tridents retained list
T&T Guardian Reports.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – No overseas players have been retained by Barbados Tridents for their upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign which starts on August 28 in St Kitts and Nevis.

Neither New Zealander Mitchell Santner, who made a solid all-round impact last season, nor outstanding Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who was among the leading wicket-takers, were among the nine players retained by the Bridgetown-based franchise.

Captain Jason Holder, the former Test captain, heads the list of retained players, and has been joined by Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr, Raymon Reifer, Justin Greaves, Nyeem Young and Joshua Bishop.

“We are really excited to welcome back our retained players and especially look forward to making Barbados and all Tridents’ fans very proud in our upcoming 2021 season,” said Barbados Tridents Co-chief executive, Kailash Pardasani.

“Our primary driving factor is the Barbados Tridents family which comprises our players, their extended families and all fans across the globe.

“This together with our love and passion for the game of cricket will enable us to bring the Hero CPL 2021 title back home as we did in 2019.”

Santner was one of the leading performers for Tridents in an otherwise dismal campaign for the then reigning champions, averaging 48 with the bat and finishing with six wickets at an economy rate of just over 5-½ runs per over.

Rashid Khan, meanwhile, was the leading bowler with 11 wickets at 23 runs apiece and an economy rate of nearly seven runs per over.

There was no space on the list for former West Indies left-hander Johnathan Carter or fellow Barbadian strokemaker Shamarh Brooks, who also recently lost his Cricket West Indies central retainer contract.

Veteran off-spinner Ashley Nurse, who picked up just two wickets last term, has also missed out.

Tridents won the CPL title in 2019 but struggled badly last year, winning just three matches out of ten to miss out on the playoffs.

This year’s tournament will be played in its entirety in St Kitts and Nevis, starting August 28.

CMC

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