Jamaica Tallawahs: Same same, but different?

2018 - 4th (playoffs)

2019 - 6th (league stage)

2020 - 4th (playoffs)

2021 - 5th (league stage)

2022 - 1st (winners)

A team that has experienced extreme outcomes in its recent past, Jamaica Tallawahs will have their task cut out for them by letting go of their title-winning skipper, Rovman Powell, ahead of the upcoming season. The last five seasons have seen them qualify for the playoffs just thrice. And in each of these three seasons, they have had to play the Eliminator to pave their road to the final. 

Last year, they defeated St. Lucia Zouks in the Eliminator with a brilliantly executed spin choke. Then, a Shamarh Brooks special awaited Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 2. Brandon King saved his best for the end, as a fantastic fifty from him helped Tallawahs win their third CPL title.

Squad Changes

As mentioned before, the biggest change for Tallawahs in the upcoming season will happen at the top. Despite leading them to a title last year, they have opted for a new skipper in Brandon King this season. Leading a CPL franchise for the first time, it remains to be seen if the dashing opener can come good for Jamaica in his maiden captaincy stint. 

They traded Rovman Powell for Hayden Walsh. The leggie will add a new dimension to their already rich spin reserves. Apart from this, they have bolstered their domestic pool by adding the stylish strokeplay of Jermaine Blackwood to their squad.

Their overseas group bears a similar look, with the likes of Chris Green, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Amir renewing their contracts with the franchise. The two big-name additions, however, are Alex Hales and Ben Cutting. The former was announced as a last-minute replacement for Naveen ul Haq, and the latter was their last signing for the season. 

Strengths

> In Alex Hales, Brandon King, Jermaine Blackwood, and Shamarh Brooks - Jamaica Tallawahs have a top-order that could punch well above its weight. But, they will have to fire in unison consistently to be able to have a telling impact on the points table. 

> Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim, Chris Green, and Hayden Walsh - their bowling attack has plenty of skill and wickets to exploit the usual slow surfaces on offer in the CPL. This could go a long way in helping their side put up a solid title defense.

Threats

> The lack of superstar names could point to two things; lack of strategy or smart recruitment. Which one of these will come true, only time will tell. Ben Cutting and Mohammad Amir are both in the twilight of their careers, and living up to their reputations won’t be easy. 

> The absence of power hitters and a slight lack of depth could hurt them at some point. Other teams will look to maximize this by exposing the lower-order as much as possible. Also, their top-order does not have a lot of experience barring Alex Hales, Brandon King, and Shamarh Brooks. Overdependence on the trio could also be a recipe for disaster.

Players to watch out for

Alex Hales, in his recent retirement announcement, mentioned that he’s looking forward to playing a lot more franchise cricket as a T20 globetrotter. However, his time in Canada did not go according to plan - he averaged 18.6 in the four matches he played. However, the aggressive opener is a force to be reckoned with, and as their most experienced batter, Tallawahs will be backing on him to shoulder the bulk of the batting responsibility.

In their last season’s title run, the only player type missing from their squad was a wrist spinner. 

Hayden Walsh’s arrival has more than just solved that. Lacklustre performances in CPL ‘22 and the domestic tournaments have sent the USA-born leggie down the pecking order. As the lone wrist-spinner in the squad, expect him to get an extended run for Tallawahs. 

Probable XI

Expect Alex Hales, Jermaine Blackwood, and Hayden Walsh to slot into XI straightaway. The first two names, along with Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks, will form the top-order. Meanwhile, Amir Jangoo and all-rounders Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim, and Chris Green make up the rest of the batting lineup. 

In Green, Walsh, and Wasim, JT have a troika of varied bowling types. On days when they feel the need to shore up their pace attack, they can include Raymond Reifer instead of Walsh. 

Alex Hales, Brandon King (c), Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Amir Jangoo (wk), Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim, Chris Green, Hayden Walsh, Mohammad Amir, Nicholson Gordon 

First Match

Jamaica Tallawahs play the tournament opener against St. Lucia Kings on August 17, 4:30 am IST.