Hard-hitting opener, Brandon King, is “ecstatic” about returning to the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the 2020 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
King was one of eight players retained by the five-time finalists ahead of the draft.
In an interview with this publication, King stated, “it was always my intention to return to Guyana for this year’s CPL so I’m ecstatic that I’ve been retained. Looking forward to it.”
The 25-year-old Jamaican, finished last season as the leading run-scorer with 496 runs and led Warriors into their fifth final but was unable to steer them to a maiden title.
Despite being unable to lift the trophy, the explosive right-handed opener, who scored his side’s lone century last year confidently admitted: “The ultimate goal is always the trophy but that can only come if I perform my role for the team.”
Reflecting on the 2019 campaign, King reminisced, “I would say last year’s competition had a big impact on my career for sure. I think my performances propelled my name in T20 cricket which led to me being selected for West Indies shortly after…it definitely played a major factor.”
King has since played eight T20 Internationals for the Caribbean side and currently strikes at 134.
Like his breakout season in 2019, King is hopeful this year’s performance can land him a spot in the West Indies’ squad for the T20 World Cup later this year.
When asked about the prospects of a World Cup selection he replied, “Yes World Cup selection is one of my goals and I think CPL comes at the right time for anyone looking to put their name forward.”
King pointed out that he understands the dynamics of the sport and acknowledged that the Caribbean is loaded with talent and that he will need to work hard this year in order to secure a place in the squad.
“As a professional, you always want to keep improving and raising the bar so knowing that I had a good tournament last year, I definitely want to show consistency and give the team strong performances again.”
However, preparation for the ‘biggest party in sport’ and cricketers across the globe been plagued by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and King says his training has been affected.
“Covid has made it difficult for us as cricketers to have the same type of training we are used to. But it also gives us an opportunity to focus on improving ourselves,” King reckoned.
He added, “I’ve been focusing primarily on fitness work during this time along with some batting drills that I can do at home.”
With the uncertainty surrounding the tournament, King weighed in on some of the regulations that are being touted under which the competition could be played.
On the possibility of playing without fans in the stands, King opined, “It is unfortunate as the fans are the ones who provide the atmosphere in the stadiums, especially in CPL. That being said the safety of the people comes first and I have no issue if it is deemed unsafe for there to be fans. It is just something we, as players, will have to adjust to.
King added that it would be regrettable for the overseas players to be absent from the tournament.
“The overseas players bring a lot of quality to every team and the tournament altogether,” he said adding “it can be seen as an opportunity for more local talent to be on display which could help the development of cricket in the region.
CPL authorities have submitted a proposal to host the entire tournament in Trinidad and Tobago. As part of the proposal, the CPL has said it would want to host the entire tournament, comprising 34 matches, at Trinidad’s two main grounds, the Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Academy. Games might be played back-to-back on the same day at 10am and 6pm local time, meaning the tournament would be played over 25 days rather than last year’s 39. The tournament had initially been due to take place between August 19 and September 26.
