Barbados Tridents retain core of previous CPL squad for title defence

West Indies Test captain Jason Holder
West Indies Test captain Jason Holder

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – The Barbados Tridents have retained eight players from their 2019 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) winning squad and added a West Indies emerging player to their roster as they prepare for their title defence later this year.

The squad announced yesterday by the CPL in a statement will again be led by Jason Holder.

 .Exciting all-rounder Nyeem Young is the only new Caribbean player signed. He will join Holder, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr, Ashley Nurse, Jonathan Carter, Raymon Reifer and Justin Greaves.

International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year, teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They can also transfer players to other teams, as some of the other franchises have already done, and sign emerging players.

Speaking about the Caribbean player retentions, Holder said: “We are really excited to build on last year’s championship win and it is great that we have been able to retain the core of our squad for this season.”

“Combined with the international players that we are planning to add to the squad, we are looking forward to defending our championship,” he added.

The eighth staging of the CPL is scheduled to take place from August 19 to September 26, but tournament organisers are closely watching the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced the postponement and cancellation of major sporting events across the region and the rest of the world.

The CPL said a decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible.

Five other franchise teams will be aiming to dethrone Tridents when the competition eventually comes off: Trinbago Knight Riders, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Lucia Zouks, Guyana Amazon Jaguars and St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.