PRIOR to the start of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2013, former West Indies captain and batting legend Sir Vivian Richards believed the League would provide young cricketers an opportunity to display and hone their skills in a competitive environment.

Richards had also said the tournament should give the young players an opportunity to assess their professional career.
And over the years the tournament has definitely proved to be the gateway for a numbers of young professionals, not only in the Caribbean, but also in most cricket playing nations.
This year’s fifth edition will commence on August 4, and, as usual will be no different, with a number of young players having the opportunity to further enhance their cricketing career.
One such player will be the talented Guyanese all-rounder, Keemo Paul.
The former West Indies Under-19 player has been selected as a replacement for Shimron Hetmyer ahead of this year’s CPL tournament, according to the management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) on Wednesday.
Hetmyer, who was initially selected by the Guyana Amazon Warriors as the West Indies Youth Player will be on West Indies Senior Team duties hence Paul has been chosen as his replacement.
Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, the 19-year-old said he is eager to grab the opportunity with both hands, adding that his main aim is to learn as much as possible.
“Definitely I am overwhelmed, but at the same time humble at the opportunity given,” the first-class player pointed out.
He added, “I’m looking forward to the opportunity since it will definitely be a challenge, but having said that, I just want to make it count”.

Paul was a part of previous training camps with the Warriors, but this time around he is eager to learn as much from the international players.
“I was a part of previous training camp, but this time I will be more with the squad, so I want to learn as much as possible, especially from the international players,” he said.
Paul who was Hetmyer’s deputy when the West Indies Under-19 team won the Youth World Cup in 2016, made his List A debut in January 2015 playing for the West Indies Under-19s in Tobago.
In March this year, the 19-year-old right-handed all-rounder’s First Class debut was overshadowed by injury at the Queen’s Park Oval but came back with a tournament-winning six-wicket haul at Providence for the Guyana Jaguars.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ first step to winning their maiden CPL title will begin on July 26 when the official training camp gets underway.
The South American-based franchise have been one of the most consistent sides since the tournament’s inception, reaching the finals in 2013, 2014 and 2016. In 2015, the Guyana Amazon Warriors reached the semifinals phase.
The Guyana leg of the tournament will see the Warriors clash with the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs on August 17, followed by Trinbago Knight Riders on the 19th.
The three-time runners-up Warriors will then oppose Barbados Tridents the following day, after which they will play St Lucia Stars on the 22nd.