Batting great Kumar Sangakkara says he is excited about returning to the Jamaica Tallawahs set-up for the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 (T20) tournament.

Despite playing a limited number of games, the Sri Lankan’s cricket nous, composure and batting mastery helped to pilot the Tallawahs to the CPL title in 2013.

And though the Kingston-based franchise has maintained a talented squad since then, they have often lacked guidance in the middle stages of their batting innings.

“I’m very excited; I have very good memories of the Tallawahs in the first season of the CPL where we went on to win,” he told the Jamaica Observer after Tuesday’s breakfast hosted by team sponsor Foska Oats at Melbourne Cricket Club.

The 38-year-old said adapting to Caribbean conditions — albeit not too dissimilar to what he is used to on the Asian subcontinent — will be crucial.

“In T20 cricket you’ve got a very short period of time to adjust and adapt, and sometimes you fall going for what the team requires you to do. But the point is that you’ve got to adjust as quickly as you can and make sure that you hang in there and compete for as long as possible.

“I don’t know what the wickets will be like this season, but we have to make sure that we have a good idea by the time we walk on the field and the rest is up to us as players to make sure we execute our skills.”

Sangakkara, who is retired from the international game, suggested that the composition of the Jamaica Tallawahs team­ — laced with world renowned match-winners mixed with rising cricket talents — provides depth and balance.

“We’ve got a great mix of extremely talented young cricketers as well as unbelievable international cricketers. We have the players to match up against any team. It’s just a case of ensuring that against whatever team you play you have fun, and more importantly, you play the best you can,” he said.

One of the all-time batting greats, Sangakkara has an eye on the young talented players coming out of the West Indies. He said the CPL offers the ideal opportunity for exposure.

“These young players come with unbelievable reputations and that’s something that is very encouraging for the Tallawahs as well as for Jamaican and West Indian cricket. There is a very vibrant and strong youth cricketing community out there.

“For the Tallawahs, it is strength because I always think that sometimes everyone gets lost in the tried and tested and fails to give the young mavericks, the young brigade a chance. But a tournament like this gives them a chance, and I’m looking forward to seeing them play and hopefully a few of them will be match winners for us,” said the former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper/batsman.