GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana Amazon Warriors have appointed New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill as captain for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League season.
He will take charge of a revamped unit missing the likes of champion off-spinner Sunil Narine and West Indies wicketkeeper, Denesh Ramdin who previously held the position of skipper.
Narine has switched to Trinbago Knight Riders – previously Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel – while Ramdin is expected to be on duty with West Indies when India tours the Caribbean.
Guptill featured for Amazon Warriors in the first two CPL season before turning out last year for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
He is one of the leading T20 batsmen in the world, averaging 35 from 155 T20s, with two hundreds and 30 half-centuries – seven of which have come in the CPL with a highest score of 90.
“It is a huge thrill and a great honour for me to be selected as Guyana Amazon Warriors captain for the forthcoming CPL season,” the 29-year-old said.
“Guyana is a cricket-rich nation and has produced many outstanding West Indies cricketers, not least Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Colin Croft, Lance Gibbs, Carl Hooper and the great Sir Clive Lloyd, amongst many others. I am conscious of Guyana’s heritage and standing in the Caribbean, and proud to lead the team into battle this year.”
He added: “I am really excited about working with a talented crop of emerging local and international talent and we will be working hard to try and be consistent and go one step further and clinch the title which has eluded the Warriors on two occasions.”
This year’s CPL campaign will run from June 29 to August 7, with six matches scheduled for the Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The move represents the first time games in the tournament will be played outside the Caribbean.
Guptill said he expected this development to add a new dimension to the already mounting excitement about this year’s campaign.
“Of course this summer we will also be travelling to Central Broward Stadium in Florida which is a really positive development for CPL as we move into mainland USA,” he noted. “Speaking to some of the players already, there’s already a lot of excitement about this step.”
Amazon Warriors coach, Roger Harper, said he was looking forward to working with Guptill.
“I have no doubt that Martin will lead from the front and his professionalism and passion for the game will spread throughout the team and drive us to success. I am excited about working with him as captain.”
