Jamaican left arm seamer Krishmar Santokie feels great about his selection to represent Guyana in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament and he is looking forward to playing with his new teammates when the competition begins.
Santokie, in an exclusive interview via telephone from Jamaica, told Stabroek Sport yesterday that he is grateful for his selection and will be aiming to put his best performances forward when he represents his new franchise.
The left arm seamer burst onto the scene in the inaugural Caribbean T20 in 2010. He displayed his talents, picking up a five-wicket haul against Trinidad and Tobago and ending that tournament with 10 wickets. His international debut came in September of 2011 when West Indies took on England in a T20 at the Oval where he picked up one wicket for 17 runs in a low-scoring match which his team won.
The 28-year-old spoke about his form heading into the CPL. It’s “decent at the moment I’m currently in the gym; I spend three to four days a week there. I’m also doing some fine tuning in order to get back to full strength by the time the CPL starts,” he said.
When asked about not representing Jamaica, Santokie replied: “Obviously, I would have wanted to play for my country. But I’m comfortable playing for another team, Guyana is a good place and the guys are good players.
“The CPL is similar to the Indian Premier League (IPL) or Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) where you play among other guys from across the world, it’s important to just go out there and do your best.”
The seamer also highlighted his notion about the slow-paced nature of the wickets in Guyana, stating that they are “slower than most in the Caribbean,” and therefor will “assist my method of bowling as I look to focus on my line, length and variations.”
Santokie is elated at the birth of the tournament. “The CPL is very good for the Caribbean, for cricketers that don’t play for the West Indies it’s a great opportunity to make a living while doing what you love,” he said.
“I also hope the competition grows from strength to strength as the years go by. Look out for me Guyana I’m coming bigger and better, Guyana is always my place.”
