After a month and a half of explosive cricket played throughout the Caribbean and Florida, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has presented a power-packed playing 11 who have shone bright over the course of this year’s league.
Director of the Hero Caribbean Premier League, Tom Moody, and Commentators Mark Butcher, Daren Ganga, Ian Bishop, Danny Morrison and Michael Slater have consulted to produce the list of stars, because, in all fairness, no one has had a better view of the game than this group.
The team comprises five overseas players, while the six remaining Caribbean players are a mixture of the old favourites and new heart-throbs.
The power packed batting lineup begins with Trinbago Knight Riders and Hero CPL’s leading run-scorer for 2018, Colin Munro. With 567 runs, a century and countless match winning half-centuries to his credit, Munro is deserving of the top spot.
He has been paired for the opening partnership with the equally dangerous Glenn Phillips of the Jamaica Tallawahs. Phillips has a season tally of 457 runs.
It is widely believed that a team’s best batsman is placed at three; in this instance, that position has been awarded to none other than one of Guyana’s very own, 21-year-old Shimron Hetmyer, who come into the team as one of three under-25-years-old players who lit up every venue at which he played.
Recording his first CPL and T20 century this season, the young man ended with 440 runs.
With the team having space for two more batsmen, the selection committee turned to another 25-and-under player who has shown his worth this season — Rovman Powell, who has many a time led the Jamaica Tallawahs home. His tally this season is 330 runs.
And what would the side be without the inclusion of a Bravo brother? In this case Darren Bravo, for his knock of 353 runs, which has earned him his spot.
The team’s batting is extended by their two all-rounders and potential captains, Andre Russell (163 runs and 14 wickets) Jamaica Tallawahs captain, and St. Lucia Star’s Captain Kieron Pollard (330 runs and four wickets).
In the bowling department, only the cream of the crop was chosen, with each of the chosen ones copping more than 15 wickets. TKR’s Ali Khan (16 wickets), GAW’s Imran Tahir (16 wickets) and Jamaica’s Under 25 player Oshane Thomas (18 wickets) are joined by the tournament’s leading wicket taker, TKR’s Fawad Ahmed with 22 wickets.
Speaking on the composition of the team, Hero CPL’s Director Tom Moody stressed on the exposure that the young talents have gotten this year.
“We have seen some outstanding performances in this year’s Hero CPL, but what has stood out is the emergence of young local talent. The performances of both Hetmyer and Thomas have been a highlight of the tournament. They are both set for a bright future with the Windies”, Moody stated.
The full team of the tournament is as follows:
1. Colin Munro
2. Glenn Phillips
3. Shimron Hetmyer
4. Rovman Powell
5. Darren Bravo
6. Kieron Pollard
7. Andre Russell
8. Ali Khan
9. Imran Tahir
10. Oshane Thomas
11. Fawad Ahmed
