ST. JOHN’S – There were no surprises in the player draft of the Professional Cricket League of Cricket West Indies, with franchises opting for homegrown players to complete their 15-member squads for the new season.
With franchises requiring only two players to complete their squads, only two rounds of the draft took place via video call, and most of the picks were emerging players with little first-class experience.
Five-time champions Guyana Jaguars were the only ones opting for experience with wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Bramble and fast Keon Joseph selected.
Bramble, 30, has played 66 first-class matches, averaging 30 with three hundreds and has also played 56 List A matches.
Joseph, a 29-year-old pacer, who was once on the brink of West Indies selection, has played 46 first-class matches and has taken 110 wickets.
Both players have been fixtures in the Guyana side in recent years.
Reigning champions Barbados Pride have scooped up 20-year-old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop, who turned out for them in the Super50 Cup earlier this year.
Bishop, who has taken 32 wickets from 22 List A matches, is yet to make his first-class debut.
Pacer Akeem Jordan is the Bridgetown franchise’s other pick. He, like Bishop, turned out for Pride in this year’s Super50 Cup.
The 26-year-old is also yet to play a first-class match, despite 45 wickets from 26 List A appearances.
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force have gone for the former West Indies Under-19 pair of Jyd Goolie and Kirstan Kallicharan.
Left-hander Goolie has already scored a first-class hundred in four appearances and the right-hander Kallicharan has played 13 List A matches.
Fast bowler Nicholson Gordon, 29, with only eight first-class and five List A matches since his regional debut 12 years ago, joins novice Alwyn Williams in being picked by their native Jamaica Scorpions.
Windward Islands Volcanoes signed the virtually unknown pair of Vincentian Darius Martin and Dominican Gillon Tyson, while Leeward Islands Hurricanes have opted for pacer Nino Henry, who made his first-class debut last season, and left-arm spinner Daniel Doram, who played the last of three first-class matches three years ago.
All 90 players across the six franchises will receive 12-month retainer contracts, starting July 1.
(CMC)
