Defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors have suffered a major blow, with their captain Imran Tahir ruled out for around 10 days with injury.
Tahir, the oldest player in the CPL at 45, had also missed Amazon Warriors’ last game against Barbados Royals with injury. Shai Hope, who stood in as captain in that game in Bridgetown, will continue to lead the side in Tahir’s absence.
Big-hitting allrounder Romario Shepherd is also working his way back from injury, having hurt his toe while training.
Shepherd, who had played a key role in Amazon Warriors’ run to their maiden CPL title last season, has featured in just one game so far this season in North Sound, where he slammed 32 off 16 balls.
Amazon Warriors have brought in Nathan Sowter, the Australia-born English wrist-spinner, as a temporary replacement for Tahir. Born in Penrith, Sowter represented New South Wales at Under-23 level before joining Middlesex.
Sowter rose to prominence in franchise cricket after winning back-to-back titles under Tom Moody at Oval Invincibles. Sowter also worked with Moody at Desert Vipers at the ILT20 2024, which was his first overseas T20 gig.
Moody was so impressed with his agility in the field that he christened him ‘Racing Snake’.
After their defeat to Royals, Hope admitted that they were missing Tahir, but backed the others to step up.
“We’ve got to find ways to penetrate in the middle,” Hope said after the game.
“I think we need to find ways to get wickets. Obviously, Imran Tahir is a big loss for us – he was one of our trump cards in the middle overs – but can’t look at that. We have got to work with what we have and find ways to get wickets. We understand the opposition [TKR] that we’re playing next and it’s important that we finish well in the death overs and take care of the batting after.”
Jordan in for Khan
Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have been bolstered by the return of Chris Jordan, ahead of their CPL 2024 home leg, which kicks off on September 18.
The Barbados-born England international had played five matches for TKR in 2019, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.05 in their run to the knockouts, where they had lost to eventual champions Barbados in qualifier 2.
Jordan, 35, will replace USA fast bowler Ali Khan, who has been sidelined from the entire CPL 2024 with injury.
In June earlier this year in Barbados, Jordan enjoyed a happy homecoming, becoming the first England men’s player to take a T20I hat-trick, in a T20 World Cup game against USA. (ESPNcricinfo)
