While concurring that Rovman Powell’s departure deals a blow to Jamaica Tallawahs, former West Indies cricketer Nehemiah Perry believes the franchise can retain the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 (T20) title, provided a suitable replacement is found for the talented batting all-rounder.

Perry’s sentiments follows news that the Tallawahs have traded the 29-year-old Powell — who captained the team to the title last year — to last season’s losing finalists Barbados Royals in exchange for leg-spinner Hayden Walsh ahead of the upcoming campaign scheduled to begin on August 16.

“Not having Rovman Powell will be a blow to the Tallawahs and he will be missed, but it’s not the end of the world,” Perry told the Jamaica Observer.

“Team is what matters to me, not individual, so the Tallawahs now need to look and see what combination and objective they are trying to achieve. One thing I can say is that nothing beats teamwork, and once you put your mind and soul into it, along with work hard, purpose, and intention, I believe the Tallwahs can still retain the title, because losing one person is not the doom and gloom. It’s all about replacement and putting your team together to start working towards the common good, which is to retain your title,” he explained.

The Observer, tried without success on Wednesday, to get comment from the Tallawahs Chief Executive Officer Jeff Miller.

With speculations swirling about the reason behind Powell’s move, it brought into sharp focus previous high-profile departures of destructive opener Chris Gayle and explosive all-rounder Andre Russell, both of whom also captained the franchise.

There is talk that a strained relationship between Powell and certain individuals within the franchise’s hierarchy — which escalated during a losing patch in last season’s title-winning campaign — may have ultimately fuelled his exit.

This does not sit well with Perry.

“When you look at how Chris Gayle departed and how Andre Russell departed from the Tallawahs, there was a cloud over all of the departures. There were rumours about who couldn’t get along with who and there was a number of back and forth and words thrown, so it wasn’t pretty.

“Again we are seeing where Rovman is leaving the Tallawahs, not as a result of cricket, but obviously there was something on the inside. So again, is it that we can’t cohesively live together, work things out, and play as a team for the development and interest of cricket, or is it all about people’s egos?” Perry, the former Jamaica spinner, asked rhetorically.

“We all have to be careful because we have young cricketers within that space who would have seen the behaviour of those persons who they would have looked up to,” he added.

However, Perry lauded Powell, who is also the West Indies T20 skipper, for his contribution to the Jamaican franchise over the years, having scored 1,337 runs for the Tallawahs since first joining the side in 2016.

“All in all, I really just want to say congratulations to Rovman, his contribution to the Tallawahs can’t go unnoticed. He has developed over the years. When we look at his whole attitude towards the game, he has learnt a lot and won the title last year through good leadership, and he is developing as a good leader,” he noted.

“But at the same you have to find someone else and, again, I think that’s the mindset that the Tallawahs management should have, in that someone will have an opportunity to showcase their talent at the highest level in T20 cricket and you can also build another leader,” Perry stated.

Powell confirmed his exit in a message to fans of the franchise on social media, as he also expressed that he was looking forward to joining the Royals and beginning a new chapter of his CPL career.

“It is with a heavy heart that my time with the Tallawahs has come to an end,” Powell said.

“I have made lifelong friends and memories I will never forget. Not least winning two CPL titles for my home franchise, one of those as captain, which I will always cherish.

“I would like to thank all the players and coaches who have been part of my Tallawahs journey these last few years. Most of all, I want to thank the Jamaican fans for your support,” he added.

Walsh, an experienced bowler, leaves the Royals, having played for the franchise since 2019. He claimed the Player of the Tournament title in his first year with the Barbados team.