KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica Tallawahs will be in search of a match-winning wrist spinner in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League draft.
West Indies white-ball specialist, Rovman Powell, who is expected to lead the franchise in the August 19 to September 26 tournament, said while the squad already possessed good pace in its attack, there was a need for a quality slow bowler.
“I think it’s a pretty decent bunch we have retained. Obviously, Chris [Gayle] will be missed, but we have batters in myself, (Andre) Russell, and Chadwick (Walton),” Powell said here recently.
“We have pace with Oshane (Thomas) and Russell, but what I think is needed is a good-quality wrist-spinner because every good team has one.
“I believe we will have to do the bulk of the shopping in the draft.”
The charismatic all-rounder was speaking against the backdrop of Tallawahs’ announcement they had retained just four players for the upcoming season in Russell, Walton, Thomas and himself.
Last year, Tallawahs boasted several slow bowlers including home-grown left-arm spinner Chris Lamont, Trinidadian leg-spinner Imran Khan and Guyanese off-spinner Steven Jacobs but all three proved ineffective, with just 10 wickets among them.
Afghan left-armer Zahir Khan was their best spinner with eight wickets while Jamaican leg-spinner Ramaal Lewis chipped in with five wickets.
Overall, the Tallawahs season was a disaster. They lost eight of their 10 matches to finish bottom of the table and miss out on the playoffs for the first time in the league’s seven-year history.
Powell said he expected the rebuilding of the franchise to coincide with improved performances.
“Once that is done and the Tallawahs start winning, we will get back on the fans’ good side,” Powell noted.
While organisers have forged ahead with their planning, the season still remains up in the air amidst the public health threat posted by deadly COVID-19 pandemic, and no date has been set for the draft.
There has been a cessation of cricket across the globe with the lucrative Indian Premier League, scheduled to start last March, postponed indefinitely by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).
CPL organisers have already floated novel ideas like employing social distancing in stadiums and strict quarantine measures in hotels, if the tournament was go ahead this year.