A couple days after fetching a million-dollar deal in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Barbadian Jofra Archer has landed another major Twenty20 contract but the fee wasn’t disclosed.
In the replacement draft held in Lahore yesterday, Quetta Gladiators selected the 22-year-old Sussex sensation to replace West Indies T20 cricket captain and fellow all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Brathwaite, who will play for Barbados in the early rounds of the Regional Super50 Cup which starts today, has been named in the West Indies’ 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March.
Archer, who has been creating a stir in the Big Bash League in Australia following his good performances in the Bangladesh Premier League, was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for US$1.125 million in the IPL auction on Saturday.
He claimed a double-wicket maiden on BBL debut for Hobart Hurricanes and continued to impress with his rapid pace. In addition, he has a strike-rate of 143.93 with the bat, which makes him an exciting prospect.
After being bypassed by the West Indies selectors despite his excellent form with the bat in the recent Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Tournament, experienced wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin has found favour with Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, which bowls off on February 22.
Ramdin has replaced Mustafizur Rahman, who will be available for a few games before joining the Bangladesh side.
Another West Indian, wicketkeeper/batsman Chadwick Walton, is among three replacement players drafted by Islamabad United.
“We brought in an extra keeper [Ramdin] as backup for Umar Akmal, in case we want to play Umar as batsman only,” a Lahore Qalandars spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo.
Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi also brought in former West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith as cover for one of their selected players.
Meanwhile, superstar Chris Gayle squeezed into the 2018 edition of the IPL after he was chosen on the third time of asking on Sunday’s second day of the auction.
The 38-year-old, once the face of the lucrative Twenty20 league, found no takers in the first two rounds of bids before Kings XI Punjab claimed him the third time around for his modest base price US$312 000.
Gayle’s heir apparent, Evin Lewis, was also snapped up by Mumbai Indians for nearly $600 000.
The left-hander will join fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard, who was retained by the franchise on Saturday’s opening day. Barbadian all-rounder Javon Searles will have his first outing in the IPL after he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of just over US$50 000.
Several West Indies players, however, went unsold in the auction, including seasoned IPL batsman Lendl Simmons, who entered at a base price of $236 000.
Also untouched were West Indies Test and one-day captain, Jason Holder; Johnson Charles; Andre Fletcher; Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell; Kesrick Williams and Sheldon Cottrell. The IPL bowls off April 7. (CMC)
