By Rajiv Bisnauth

THE Caribbean Premier League (CPL) provides youngsters with an opportunity to rub shoulders with the very best in the cricketing fraternity and draw from their vast pools of experience.

Since its inception in 2013, it has given a lot of youngsters the opportunity to showcase their mettle in front of a global audience, and has allowed these cricketers to make the most of their acquired skills while securing the future of those who are not fortunate enough to make it to the top.

However, for budding right-arm seamer Romario Shepherd, the opportunity to play in the seventh edition of the CPL is another great stepping stone to his promising career.

Shepherd, one of five Berbicians and eight Guyanese, was selected for the home franchise, Guyana Amazon Warriors, for the second time. The 34-match season starts later this year, with the opening match happening on September 4 and the final on October 12.

During an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport, the strongly-built youngster noted that the CPL provides a great platform for cricketers, and he is grateful for another opportunity.

“It’s always a great feeling to play for your home franchise, and with Guyana being one of the most respected and well supported team, I’m happy to be a part of them,” the 24-year-old said.

Shepherd played three matches in the latter part of the 2018 tournament, and while he admits that the opportunity was limited, it was an unnerving experience.

“Too many opportunities hadn’t come my way last season, but it was a great learning curve. Obviously, I am hoping for more opportunities this time around, so I can contribute more to the team and at the same time showcase my trade to the world,” he reckoned.

Having played 21 first-class matches, Shepherd has already grabbed 67 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. In his ‘List A’ career, he has taken 24 wickets in 18 matches. However, Shepherd is eager to make a big impact in his T20 career.

“Once I get the opportunity, I want to take wickets … I want to feature more in this format, a format I truly love; But having said that my ultimate goal is to play international cricket (Test and One Day) for the West Indies,” he concluded.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, one of the most consistent franchises in the CPL, are yet to win a title, despite reaching the final on four occasions.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran has been signed by Guyana Amazon Warriors as their marquee player.

The Trinidadian wicketkeeper/batsman played for the Barbados Tridents last year, but in a big move for him and the franchise, he will be playing for the Guyana-based team in 2019.

Pooran has played 11 T20 Internationals for the West Indies and has become a fixture in T20 tournaments around the world. He is also a member of the West Indies squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

This is the third CPL team that Pooran will represent, having started his career with the Trinbago Knight Riders before moving to the Barbados Tridents.

The full 17-member squad reads: Shadab Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Shimron Hetmyer, Ben Lauglin, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Keagan Simmons, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Veerasammy, Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, and Saurab Netravalkar.