CPL 2020: Know you team ft. Guyana Amazon Warriors

One of the most consistent teams in the Caribbean Premier League, Guyana Amazon Warriors are yet to win a title despite reaching the playoffs every single season. They have managed to reach the finals 5 out of 7 times so far and finished at the third position in the other two seasons.

Like every year, the Guyana-based team has a promising lineup and it will be no surprise if they finally break the jinx and lift their maiden title.

Having retained majority of the players, Guyana Amazon Warriors signed Ross Taylor and Kevin Sinclair. In the draft they got Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq, under-19 star Ashmead Nedd and US all-rounder Jasdeep Singh. However, with Shoaib Malik and Shadab Khan unavailable for the season, the gap will be tough to fill for the Warriors, especially the shoes of the captain.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad

Retained: Imran Tahir (Overseas), Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Green (Overseas), Qais Ahmad (Overseas), Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Odean Smith, Anthony Bramble.

Signed: Ross Taylor (Overseas), Kevin Sinclair.

Drafted: Naveen-ul-Haq (Overseas), Ashmead Nedd, Jasdeep Singh (ICC Americas pick).

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad Strengths and Weaknesses

Guyana Amazon Warriors boast of a terrific batting lineup with several West Indies stars including King, Pooran and Hetmyer. All three of them have been impressive in limited overs format so far, King being the top scorer in CPL 2019, Hetmyer known for his big hitting, especially against spin and Pooran for his stroke-play. Guyana Amazon Warrior's good run in 2019 was largely due to the superb form of King and Hemraj at the top, as both of them featured in the top 10 run-getters of the season.

Hetmyer might look to improve upon his performance but given his potential, he can be an absolute match-winner on his day. Pooran is now a hot property in T20 cricket around the globe and his form will be crucial to Guyana Amazon Warrior's chances this season.

Ross Taylor, an experienced campaigner, will play the role in the batting lineup that Shoaib Malik played last season. Sherfane Rutherford and Keemo Paul, followed by Chris Green, form a good enough lower middle-order. Rutherford, in particular, will hold the key for finishing games along with Taylor and Pooran.

In the absence of Malik and Shadab, the spin department has definitely taken a hit, but Tahir and Green are good enough spinners on who the team can rely. They might also use Qais Ahmed, who was quite impressive in BBL, as a surprise element at some point of the tournament. Nedd, who impressed during th U-19 World cup is an exciting prospect but lacks experience at this stage and so is the off-break bowler Kevin Sinclair.

Pace bowling is something Guyana Amazon Warriors seriously lack quality. Apart from the first choice bowlers in Paul, Shepherd and Naveen, there are no quality options to look forward to. Laughlin will be a big miss from last season, especially with the experience he had.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Probable First-Choice Playing XI

Brandon King, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Ross Taylor, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Chris Green, Romario Shepherd, Imran Tahir, Naveen-ul-Haq