FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, CMC – A lack of fearless cricket has been named as the reason why the Jamaica Tallawahs went down to the Barbados Tridents in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) here on Wednesday.
The loss was the Tallawahs’ third consecutive, following a sensational start which saw them win their first three games.
According to Tallawahs’ captain Andre Russell, the team did not show the same spirit as in previous games during the gut-wrenching two-run loss to the Tridents.
The hard-hitting Russell could only watch on from the dugout, along with fellow power-hitter Rovman Powell, as Ross Taylor and David Miller could only scrape seven runs from Raymon Reifer’s final over in pursuit of a below par target of 156.
“We have a good bunch of guys…and earlier I was having a meeting with the guys and I told them to play fearless cricket, but tonight [Wednesday] wasn’t fearless and it is as if guys are afraid to get out. I’m not afraid to get out because it’s not the first time I get out in cricket and it won’t be the last,” Russell said.
“I back myself if the ball is there or if it is not there, so that’s the type of spirit we have in the changing room, to be fearless, but I didn’t see that tonight [Wednesday] and that is the reason why we are on the losing end.”
Russell said there was a possibility that the batting lineup could see a shake up.
“The batters disappointed us and the bowlers did what they were supposed to do. On a good wicket like that, the bowlers did well to restrict them and I expected to get the runs,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to be having this feeling right now. Maybe we will have to switch up the batting order a bit because this is the second game that me and Rovman have been sitting down with the pads on, walking around very anxious to get in. But I back the guys, I back Ross Taylor and David Miller to hit big sixes’.’