Know your CPL 2020 team – Jamaica Tallawahs
Winners of the Caribbean Premier League inaugural edition and two-time Jamaica Tallawahs champions begin their campaign against St Lucia Zouks in the upcoming season’s third game.
The Jamaican-based team, led by Rovman Powell, would look to improve their performance from last season where they ended up at the bottom of the points table.
Having retained only five players (Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Chadwick Walton, Oshane Thomas and Glenn Philipps), the Tallawahs signed Tabraiz Shamsi, who is expected to miss the season because of travel issues. They drafted 12 players on top of that. Parting ways with Chris Gayle is something that may turn out to be vital to the fortunes of the side.
Squad
Retained: Glenn Philipps (Overseas), Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Chadwick Walton, Rovman Powell.
Signed: Tabraiz Shamsi (Overseas)
Drafted: Asif Ali (Overseas), Sandeep Lamicchane (Overseas), Ryan Persaud (ICC Americas pick), Fidel Edwards, Preston McSween, Andre McCarthy, Nicholas Kirton, Carlos Brathwaite, Nkrumah Bonner, Veerasammy Permaul, Jeavor Royal.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The top order includes Bonner, Walton and Philipps, with Walton expected to open in the absence of Gayle who previously batted at 3. Bonner doesn’t have excellent T20 credentials, but he could be used as an anchor for the side with the experience he has.
The middle-order has ample firepower to pursue any max. Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Asif Ali and Carlos Brathwaite are some of the league’s fiercest ball hitters available.
Unlike some of the other teams, however, Jamaica Tallawahs does not have batting depth as their batting ends at seven. Also, the backups with either too much inexperience or not great T20 records are not very reliable.
With Shamsi’s replacement yet to be announced, Lamicchane and Permaul are set to head the spin department with Bonner assisting with temporary off-spin. While the spin department looks sufficiently competent, the lack of quality backups could be a cause for concern.
Pace bowling is where the Tallawahs of Jamaica boasts an excellent repertory. Thomas, Edwards, Russell and Brathwaite are more than just compensating for the lack of batting range. They ‘re a team that can use the short ball tactics against any side with efficiency. For Jamaica Tallawahs to boost their performance and continue this season to make it big, their fast bowlers must be in top shape.
