`We have managed to put together a competitive squad’, says Harper
Guyana Amazon Warriors Head Coach,Roger Harper making a point during Friday’s Player Draft.
Guyana Amazon Warriors Head Coach,Roger Harper making a point during Friday’s Player Draft.

HEAD COACH of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Roger Harper, believes the Warriors make-up will be a competitive force during the 2017 edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Harper’s declaration came a day after the Player Draft was held in Barbados on Friday.

The 53-year-old Harper told Chronicle Sport yesterday that the Warriors management unit has managed to put together a squad where a number of the core players have returned from last year.
The draft process on Friday saw all six teams opting for large-scale retentions after the cap on retention was relaxed for this season in order to keep the core of their sides intact. Such a strategy meant that big-name signings were few and far between.
Teams were allowed to retain as many players as they want, and as such, the Guyana Amazon Warriors have kept nine of the men that made up the 2016 squad.

Chadwick Walton will head to the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise this season.

The Warriors have retained Pakistani all-rounder Sohail Tanvir, New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, Australian middle-order batsman Chris Lynn, Trinidad and Tobago all-rounder Rayad Emrit, Trinidad and Tobago batsman Jason Mohammed, Guyanese trio Veerasammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin and Steven Jacobs and Trinidad and Tobago wicketkeeper/batsman Steven Katwaroo.

“I think we manage to put together a very competitive squad. We have some of our core players back from last year, and we managed to build some good players around that,” Harper said.

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.
However, Harper, a former West Indies all-rounder and former coach of the West Indies and Kenya senior teams, feels that the Warriors chances this year are as good as any other franchise.
“I think we have a good chance as anyone else. It’s all how we come together and how hard we work and how well we play on match day.
“What you will realize is that the league gets much stronger each year, with more and more international players coming in… so the other teams are also very competitive, but I think our chances are just as good as any other team,” Harper concluded.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors have raked in six newcomers in their squad; Jamaican wicket-keeper/batsman Chadwick Walton,Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan, ICC Americas opener Steven Taylor, Barbados all-rounder Roshon Primus and the Guyanese pair: batsman Gajanand Singh and fast bowler Keon Joseph.
In addition, the squad includes the young exciting batsman Shimron Hetmyer,who led the West Indies to the Under-19 ICC Cricket World Cup title last year.

Jason Mohammed played a big role for the Guyana Amazon Warriors last season.

CPL 2017 is scheduled to be played between August 1 and September 9.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors squad reads: Sohail Tanvir, Martin Guptill*, Chadwick Walton, Chris Lynn, Rayad Emrit, Rashid Khan, Jason Mohammed, Steven Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Roshan Primus, Gajanand Singh, Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Steven Jacobs, Steven Ketwaroo, Shimron Hetmeyer (Young W.I.), Muhammad Ali Khan (ICC Americas).

 

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