CPL title depends on playing smart cricket, says Botha
Johan Botha
Johan Botha

THE Amazon Warriors have stormed into the final of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) like true warriors thrice, but have never been able to win the title. 

No doubt the team will be looking for a fresh start this season and will definitely want to settle for nothing less than the trophy this year.

However, while they would be looking to tick all the boxes in the field so as to provide their fans with some joy after five years of unfavourable results, head coach Johan Botha feels ‘smart cricket’, is needed if the local franchise are to cross that final hurdle.

“It calls for smart cricket. It is easy to say let’s play the conditions well and have fun, but there is a lot more to it these days. We know we will come up against quality opposition and we need to be better on the night. We need to think on our feet and probably be the team that react the best to pressure situations,” the 36-year-old said.

Botha, the former South Africa player, feels, while the aim is to reach the top four, the team must take it ‘match by match’.

“You need to get into the play-offs first of all. We want to be in the top four and that is our first and main goal for now and then from there you are two to three wins away from winning the tournament and in those high pressure games you have to hope a couple of things go your way and a couple of your senior players perform on the night,” he pointed out.

He added, “We have to look at conditions; the guys have said they really like a couple of the wickets at Providence, so that is probably the first thing we need to look at; if it is going to spin as much as it has in the past. It has not looked like it has, based on the recent One Day International. Every player is different and we will have to look and try to pick our best XI for the night”.

The Amazon Warriors will start their CPL campaign with a match against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 9.

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