Having finished last in the previous edition of the CPL, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are now looking like a revamped outfit. The inadequate performances of several star players has forced the team management to pack the squad with T20 specialists this time around. Let us see whether they have it in them to bounce back and put up a strong showing.
2016 Draft
St Kitts and Nevis placed all their faith in Lendl Simmons who was the first pick at a massive 160,000$. The top-order batsman is a proven campaigner in T20 leagues across the world and does not usually disappoint under pressure.
South African mainstay Faf du Plessis was also in-demand and the Patriots snapped him up for 130,000$. Considering his reputation as a sensible player, he has been given the captaincy as well. However, the 31-year old’s leadership skills in the World T20 flattered to deceive.
Samuel Badree cost only 110,000$ with his enormous experience and solid track record in the shortest format. Among other notable picks were Brad Hodge at 90,000$ and Tabraiz Shamsi could very well turn out to be a steal at 15,000$
Playing XI
The Patriots have a good mix of batsmen who are capable of scoring consistently as well as being genuine game changers. But, the problem is that majority of those have only played in the top-order which means that the demand on the lower-order hitters could increase manifold.
Also Read: CPL 2016 – Foreigners' XI of the tournament
However, the bowling department appears to have a more settled outlook with the veteran Tino Best and an upcoming Alzarri Joseph. Needless to say, a spin combination of Badree and Shamsi does pose serious threat to opposition batting lineups.
Top-order
One of the surprise selections in the squad was Kieran Powell, an opener almost lost to baseball. Once recognized as a promising talent, the left-hander could grab eyeballs if he has a good tournament.
But, he may have to compete with the hard-hitting Evin Lewis if Simmons is slotted up the order. The positive side of having so many options to open the batting is that St Kitts and Nevis can expect decent starts regularly.
Middle-order
Faf du Plessis is expected to lead from the front by playing the anchor role throughout the tournament. He will hope that Brad Hodge proves that age is just a number by keeping the scoreboard ticking during the middle overs.
Though there are other candidates like Devon Thomas and JJ Smuts to fulfill those criteria, question marks still surround their ability to counter difficult situations. In this regard, Jonathan Carter can be tried at number 5.
All Rounders
The presence of explosive cricketers such as Carlos Brathwaite and Thisara Perera adds teeth to the batting unit. The team management will have to use them in such a way that the finishing impetus comes at the right time. The duo can also chip in with efficient spells at various stages of the match thus showing their utility to the team.
Bowlers
Tino Best brings with him an element of surprise and the spectators should brace for a roller-coaster ride. However, all eyes will be on Alzarri Joseph who took the U-19 World Cup in January by storm by rattling the batsmen with his extra pace.
Armed with a quirky action, Krishmar Santokie is tailor made for T20s and could present an interesting dilemma to the think tank by pushing his case in the playing eleven. As always, the onus will be on Badree to deliver four high-quality overs without too much fuss.
Full Squad*
Faf Du Plessis (C), Lendl Simmons, Samuel Badree, Brad Hodge, Thisara Perera, Jonathan Carter, Krishmar Santokie, Evin Lewis, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kieran Powell, Jon-Jon Smuts, Devon Thomas, Sharmarh Brooks, Tino Best, Jeremiah Louis, Carlos Brathwaite, Nikhil Dutta, Alzarri Joseph
*Overseas players are marked in bold
Franchise Details
Owner : Uday Nayak, Mohammed Ansari and Nirvan Veerasamy
Captain : Faf du Plessis
Coach : Eric Simons
Home : Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre
History : 2013- Did not play, 2014- Did not play, 2015- 6th
Prospects
Things seem a lot brighter for the Patriots in this season. With plenty of bowling options at his disposal, skipper du Plessis would want noteworthy efforts in the field to keep opposing teams at bay.
But, he needs to shoulder the burden with the bat and set up decent platforms for the lower-order personnel to capitalize. If the batting lineup manages to function according to plan, Patriots could the competition’s dark horses.
| Date | Opposition | Venue | Time (IST) |
| July 1 | Guyana Amazon Warriors | St Kitts | 05:30 |
| July 2 | Jamaica Tallawahs | St Kitts | 21:30 |
| July 4 | St Lucia Zouks | St Kitts | 01:30 |
| July 6 | Barbados Tridents | St Kitts | 04:30 |
| July 9 | Guyana Amazon Warriors | Guyana | 21:30 |
| July 14 | Barbados Tridents | Barbados | 05:30 |
| July 17 | Jamaica Tallawahs | Jamaica | 04:30 |
| July 22 | St Lucia Zouks | St Lucia | 03:30 |
| July 30 | Trinbago Knightriders | Lauderhill | 04:30 |
| July 31 | Trinbago Knightriders | Lauderhill | 21:30 |
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