Steve Smith will stay in match action with the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The suspended Australian captain Steve Smith is going to join the Barbados Tridents in the Hero CPL.
The Barbados Tridents have announced that Australian batsman Steve Smith will join their squad for the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (C)PL) which will run from 8 August to 16 September. Smith will replace Shakib al Hasan who is no longer available for the tournament, Hero Caribbean Premier League have stated in Press release.
The Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018 is scheduled from 8 August to 16 September, 2018.
Barbados Tridents team is coached by the former India international all-rounder Robin Singh.
Smith has played 64 Tests, 108 ODIs and 30 T20 Internationals for Australia and is currently the number one ranked Test batsman in the world. With more than 3,000 T20 runs, including a century and 11 fifties, Smith brings a huge amount of experience to the Tridents squad.
The Barbados Tridents get their season underway with an away trip to the Guyana Amazon Warriors on 12 August before a match against St Lucia Stars on 17 August.
The Barbados Tridents will then play Jamaica Tallawahs in Lauderhill, USA, before playing five matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados between 25 August and 2 September.
Speaking of the signing of Smith, Barbados Tridents coach Robin Singh said: “It is a huge blow to lose Shakib for the tournament but in Steve Smith we have a truly world-class replacement who can help to bring power to our batting lineup. As a man who has played cricket at the highest level all over the world we are very confident that Smith will be a big success with the Tridents.”
Trinbago Knight Riders are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Stars and Jamaica Tallawahs.
Combining broadcast and digital viewership over 197 million fans watched the 2017 season to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket.
Barbadon Tridents had also announced the joining of New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill yesterday.
Guptill had said the Tridents are well placed to compete with a new look squad for 2018. “I think it’s exciting, there’s some world class players in there, both local and international, so I’m looking forward to getting over there. I’ll be batting again with Dwayne Smith, the way it was in Guyana a couple years ago. You know he’s an exciting player who gives the ball a bit of a whack at the top as well. We’ve got some exciting all-rounders with Shakib al Hasan, Roston Chase also Jason Holder as well so it is an exciting team to be a part of and I am looking forward to getting over there.”
As well as an opening partnership of Dwayne Smith and Guptill there is Hashim Amla in the middle order. Guptill is looking forward to linking up with the South African stroke-maker at this year’s Hero CPL. “I played with Hashim in IPL last year and I got to bat with him in a few games, to watch the master at work down the other end was an experience and I am looking forward to hopefully batting with him again over at CPL,” he added.
Guptill will be playing his home games at Kensington Oval, one of the most famous grounds in world cricket, when the Tridents arrive in Barbados for their five home games between 25 August and 2 September. “It’s a lovely ground to play. I’ve had a bit of mixed results there but I’m looking forward to getting there. It is one of the iconic grounds of the West Indies so I’ve loved playing there in the past with different teams, and to have it as my home ground this year I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully showing the home fans what I can do.”
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