By Avenash Ramzan
The Guyana Amazon Warriors have raked in six newcomers in their squad for the Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017, following the Player Draft this morning in Barbados.
Destructive Jamaican wicket-keeper/batsman Chadwick Walton will head to the franchise this season, as well as Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan. The big-hitting ICC Americas opener Steven Taylor will also suit up for the Warriors, along with Barbados all-rounder Roshon Primus and the Guyanese pair, batsman Gajanand Singh and fast bowler *Keon Joseph.
The retained players are Pakistani all-rounder Sohail Tanvir, New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, Australian middle-order batsman Chris Lynn, Trinidad and Tobago all-rounder Rayad Emrit, Trinidad and Tobago batsman Jason Mohammed, Guyanese trio Veerasammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin and Steven Jacobs and Trinidad and Tobago wicketkeeper/batsman Steven Katwaroo.
Walton, who has played for home franchise Jamaica Tallawahs in all four previous seasons, is an aggressive opener, who is perfectly suited to the T20 format. He has a strike rate of 112 and average of 23 from 62 matches with a highest of 99 not out.
Eighteen-year-old Khan is an exciting new talent, who was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for US$597,000, the highest-ever bid for an Associate player in the IPL. The leg-spinner has a T20 best of 5-3, incidentally taken today against Ireland, and an economy rate of 5.95. His 53 wickets from 32 games prove that he is a constant wicket-taker.
Taylor is a hard-hitting 23-year-old left-handed opener, who scored a pair of 80s for Jamaica Scorpions in the Regional Super50 in February. His previous stint in the CPL was with former champions Barbados Tridents.
Primus, a Barbados-born all-rounder, has played all his senior regional cricket for Trinidad and Tobago. He’s a handy player, boasting a batting average of 37 and a bowling average of 24 after five First-Class matches.
Guyanese left-hander Singh has had a prolific year, scoring 64, 88, 56, 56 and 64, and was only dismissed once in the UWI/UNICOM T20 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago. Such exemplary performance, playing for DCC- 328 runs at an astonishing average of 328- unsurprisingly earned him Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Of recent, Joseph has been Guyana Jaguars spearhead, rattling regional batsmen with his pace and accuracy. The 25-year-old has picked up 61 wickets from 23 First-Class games at an average of 27, and will add much-needed firepower to the Warriors’ attack.
The only other Guyanese who was picked at the Draft was all-rounder Christopher Barnwell, who was released by the Warriors. Barbados Tridents bought him for US$10,000.
Fast bowler Ronsford Beaton (Trinbago Knight Riders) and Jonathon Foo (Jamaica Tallawahs) were retained by their respective franchises.
*Editor’s note: Keon Joseph was called in as a replacement for the injured Ronsford Beaton in the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad in 2013. However, he did not play a match.
See full list of players selected by the franchises below.
