Caribbean Premier League 2017: 5 marquee players who failed in the first week

The sixth edition of the Caribbean Premier League took off in grand style with some jaw-dropping encounters already taking place in the first week. There’s been no dearth of entertainment for the fans during the initial eight matches of the event.

Before the commencement of the tournament, several players were expected to play a vital role for their teams. However, they struggled to find form and couldn’t quite deliver to expectations.

In our article we take a look some of the renowned cricketers who couldn’t quite hit their ideal performances in the initial stage of the tournament.

#5 Shoaib Malik - Barbados Tridents

With loads of experience on his shoulders, Shoaib Malik has been an integral part of every team he has represented in T20s. However, the Pakistan all-rounder has struggled to get going in this editions Caribbean Premier League, playing for Barbados Tridents.

In 3 games, the Sialkot-born cricketer could only muster 41 runs at an average of 13.66, which aren’t intriguing numbers by any stretch of the imagination. Malik looked in good nick in the Tridents' opening game against the Jamaica Tallawahs, but perished to an ugly hoick off Kesrick Williams' bowling.

The next couple of games against the Tallawahs and the St Lucia stars have been forgettable for Malik as he got out for single-figure scores on both occasions. Even with the ball, he couldn’t pick up a wicket in the five overs he has bowled till now.

#4 Marlon Samuels- St Lucia Stars

Marlon Samuels has struggled to get runs in the tournament

There’s no doubt in Marlon Samuel’s ability with the willow. However, inconsistent performances and unwanted scandals have marred his cricketing career. He is currently representing the St Lucia Stars and has been disappointing for them.

The Stars have played 3 games in the event and Samuels could only garner 32 runs at an average of 10.66 with 13 being his top-score. In the Stars opening game against the Trinbago Knight Riders, Samuels scorched a couple of boundaries, but gave his wicket away to Kevon Cooper.

In the next game, Sunil Narine foxed him with a ball that turned sharply and crashed on to the stumps. Against the Tridents, the West Indian started off aggressively only to gift his wicket through a mediocre stroke of Wayne Parnell.

#3 Kamran Akmal- St Lucia Stars

Kamran Akmal has been shambolic with the willow in hand

Kamran Akmal is someone who doesn’t like to hold back and prefers to play his strokes regardless of the situation. However, the same approach has accounted for his dismissal quite a few times, in shabby performances by the Pakistani wicket-keeper batsman.

In 3 games for the St Lucia Stars, Akmal could only manage 22 runs at an average of 7.33, which is disappointing to say the least. In their first game against the Trinbago Knight Riders, he fell short of the crease and perished to a run-out courtesy a brilliant direct-hit from Sunil Narine.

In the second match, the Lahore-born cricketer looked good in his brief knock, but played one shot too many to get out after spanking the spinners for a four and a six.

#2 Ravi Rampaul- Barbados Tridents

Ravi Rampaul [file photo]

Ravi Rampaul’s prowess with the ball has earned him accolades from every nook and corner of the cricketing fraternity. However, plagued by frequent injuries, his career never gathered momentum and he could only play a handful of matches for the West Indies.

He has had a pretty average campaign in this season's Caribbean Premier League, representing the Barbados Tridents. He was expected to play a crucial role with the ball for the Tridents, but couldn’t quite live up to expectations.

In three matches, he bowled a total of 11 overs and leaked 107 runs at a dismal economy of 9.72. His only moments of joy came when he got rid of Kumar Sangakkara for low scores on both occasions. Barring those two scalps, he has been carted across the park.

#1 Jerome Taylor- St Lucia Stars

Jerome Taylor has leaked runs at an alarming rate

Jerome Taylor is predominantly a swing bowler, who likes to float the ball up to the batsman and induce them to play false strokes. He has been a prolific wicket-taker for the West Indies, but his career has been cut short due to injuries at regular intervals.

Albeit he has picked up a couple of wickets in the tournament, he has hardly been able to make any sort of an impact with the ball. He started off well during the Stars’ opening game against the Knight Riders when he cleaned up Sunil Narine with a peach of an in-swinger.

Since then, things have gone downhill for the Caribbean pacer. In the Stars’ erstwhile game against the Tridents, Taylor was thrashed by Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as he ended with figures of 4-0-55-1.