GUYANA Amazon Warriors Assistant Coach Ryan Hercules believes that getting the right mix of overseas and regional players is key to the team’s advancement in the 2026 edition of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
This, he says, has become a vital factor with adjustments to the number of overseas players in the playing 11.
“The overseas players you can play only four at a time, and you have to play one breakout player, which Sampson is our breakout player. Now we have got Gurbaz, and we have got Haris also on the bench. These guys who played well in Guyana on the slow, flat, spinning surfaces—that is where I think you will get the best out of them.”
CPL before the competition started announced that for the 2026-2028 cycle, teams are permitted to sign up to five overseas players, with a maximum of four overseas players in the starting 11.
Hercules says that preparatory work prior to the Global Super League and 2026 CPL for the regional-based players was crucial, as a hectic CPL schedule makes it tough to do much training during the competition.
‘We would have worked with a lot of young players to make sure we get them to suit the role best for them. When we are on tour, you travel, you get one day of rest, and then you play the next day or train the next day, so that day of training is to make sure you try to keep them in a good space mentally.”
He says they have a long way to go in the competition
“We go over to Antigua to play Falcons then we head over to Trinidad. It is going to be packed when we head to Guyana because we play about five matches in eight days, not much time for training, is just play, rest, so it is going to be a very busy schedule when we get home to Guyana, but the important thing is keep them in a safe space and make sure the bodies are ready to go.”
The former Guyana player says they want to finish the away games unbeaten; looking ahead, he says they have a specific plan for each team, and they are playing each game on its merit.
“We have our plan in terms of how we are going to approach the TKR game because we’d love to go home with four wins, because the Guyana conditions suit us very well, so with four wins on the road will put us a in a really good position on that table. Obviously, we want to be that team that finish number one to get that spot in the finals.”
Guyana will take to the field on Sunday against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground before meeting Trinbago Knight Riders on August 31 at the Queen’s Park Oval.
