The 2023 CPL season gets underway on 16 August with the Patriots playing their first match against the Trinbago Knight Riders on 19 August.
It is slated to take place till the 24th of August. A total of 5 countries in the Caribbean will be hosting this elite and glamorous tournament.
Alick Athanaze (Barbados Royals)
When Alick Athanaze was on his way to the joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut, Carlos Brathwaite, who was on TV commentary at the time, dubbed him the “future of West Indies cricket”. A CPL debut for Barbados Royals this season will only embellish his CV.
Athanaze hasn’t played any official T20 cricket yet, but showed during the ODIs against UAE and India that he has a variety of shots in his repertoire, including the reverse-sweep.
He also has the experience of having featured in Global T20 Canada and the Vincy T10 league.
Kevin Wickham (Barbados Royals)
Another former West Indies Under-19 player and another Royal, Kevin Wickham is also set for his CPL debut.
Wickham, now 20, has played just six first-class and six List A games so far, but has already been part of CWI’s Emerging Players camp and was recently name-checked by Ian Bishop during an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
Matthew Forde (St Lucia Kings)
Matthew Forde can launch sixes down the order, hit hard lengths with the ball, and also bowl deceptive slower cutters, skills that have put him on the radar of T20 leagues even outside the Caribbean.
Most recently, he finished Global T20 Canada as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with 15 wickets in eight games at an average of 10.80 and economy rate of 6.43 in Surrey Jaguars’ run to the final.
Forde played only seven games for Kings last season but could have a bigger role this CPL after having proven his white-ball chops in the LPL and GT20 Canada.