WITH the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) just under two weeks away, out-of-favour Test batsman Assad Fudadin said he is eagerly looking forward to making his debut.The CPL is the Region’s premier T20 tournament, attracting sold-out crowds and millions of viewers across the globe are set to commence on June 20.
Fudadin, who represented the West Indies in three Tests, was snapped up by the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the CPL Player Draft in Kingston, Jamaica, on February 5.
He was bought in Round 15 for US$5 000, and is among eight Guyanese in the line-up, a clear indication that the Warriors management unit was keen to continue giving the local players an opportunity to showcase their talents.
One of six players to represent the local franchise for the first time, Fudadin joined Australia’s Brad Hodge, West Indies veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera and local superstars Devendra Bishoo and Paul Wintz as the newcomers in the Guyana Amazon Warriors outfit.
“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for me to represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the first time,” the 29-year-old Fudadin said during an exclusive interview recently.
With three T20 games under his belt, Fudadin said he was excited to be part of the third edition.
The left-handed batsman said he was eagerly looking forward to tap into the vast experience of the international quartet – Sri Lankan trio Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga and Thisara Perera and the Australian Brad Hodge.
“It will be a good experience for me, since I will get the opportunity to mix with a few international players, who are specialised in one-day cricket, so it will be a good opportunity for me to experience and I want to thank the management unit for putting their faith in me,” he said.
Guyanese Leon Johnson, Steven Jacobs and Robin Bacchus were not selected, along with New Zealander James Neesham, who was part of the team last season.
Other members of the squad are Trinidad’s Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin and Guyana’s Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton.
The third edition of the CPL, labelled by organisers as the Biggest Party in Sport, will attract 33 action-packed matches and is set to conclude on July 26.
The Amazon Warriors lost at the final hurdle in the previous two editions, to Jamaica Tallawahs in 2013 and Barbados Tridents in 2014.
It will once again feature six Franchises, namely Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel.

By Rajiv Bisnauth