Nothing Tallawah about the Tallawahs, et al
Dear Editor,
When the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) began back in August, the expectation was for the usual attractive and exciting cricket, even with the absence of some of the global T20 stars. What has since transpired has been far removed from the expected quality, attractive, and exciting cricket that the CPL has produced over the years.
The inactivity of players brought on by the global pandemic, the quality of the pitches, the fact that the matches have been played solely in Trinidad, though at two different grounds, have all contributed to the type of cricket that’s been on display. However, with that said, there have been some brainless and unexplainable cricket played by all teams barring the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Tallawahs, Patriots and Tridents have been way below par and worthy of demotion had it been a demotion-type tournament. The fact is Tallawahs only made the semi-finals because four teams are required and not really based on anything they did in the tournament. To see them qualify for the semi-finals was disappointing, to say the least, and as Tallawahs supporters we ought to thank the Knight Riders for ending the embarrassment. The entire team, to include captain and coach, showed no understanding of the game. From team selection to batting positions; there was no credible plan nor vision. It was evident the batters were struggling and at no point did we see Andre Russell up the order, but maybe the captain and the coach really do know best.
Not to be outdone the Warriors decided they would rather lose in the semi-finals than to choke in another finals as they were handed a whipping by the Zouks. The year of 2020 has been filled with the unexpected, and this year’s edition of the CPL has been nothing but the unexpected. With the undefeated Knight Riders facing off against the first-time finalist Zouks, predicting a winner in this one may be difficult, but given the unpredictability of 2020, the Zouks may be very well primed to win their first T20 title.
Kemar Bogle
knb800@yahoo.com