Big-hitting?Trinidadian batsman Kieron Pollard will play for the Barbados-based franchise in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 cricket competition which starts in July.
Pollard is among the six seeded West Indian cricketers who have been assigned to franchises as preparations continue ahead of the start of the CPL.
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be the seeded player based in Port-of-Spain, while his Trinidadian colleague Sunil Narine will be stationed in Guyana.
Chris Gayle, who created several world records in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday with the highest T20 score of 175 not out, will stay in his native Jamaica with the Kingston franchise.
Gayle’s fellow Jamaican Marlon Samuels will be based in the St John’s franchise in Antigua, while West Indies captain Darren Sammy remains at home and will play for the St Lucian franchise.
Organizers said they have spread the six players around the six teams in order to bring a level of competitiveness to each franchise.
Australians Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, Pakistan’s Mohammed Hafeez and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor have already been contracted to the CPL but no official announcement has been made about the franchise to which they will be assigned.
However, the Trinidad Guardian newspaper has reported that Ponting has indicated to the organizers his interest in playing for the Trinidad franchise.
It’s been reported as well that Hafeez is expected to go to Guyana, while South African Hershelle Gibbs was said to be in talks with organizers to be stationed in Barbados once his contract details have been sorted out.
The CPL, which is slated to run from July 29 to August 26, has replaced the regional T20 tournament and is targeting a substantial global television audience. (CMC/EZS)
