Bridgetown, 20 June 2016: Jamaica Tallawahs star batsman Kumar Sangakkara has nothing but positive memories from his previous stint in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but the Sri Lanka superstar is keen to create a new legacy when he links up with the Tallawahs squad for the fourth installment of CPL (Sangakkara hopes lightning ).
A legend of the modern game, Sangakkara is one of the most fluent batsmen in recent history across all three formats.
An ICC World T20 champion in 2014, where his 52 not out earned him the man of the match award in the final victory over India, the left-handed wicket-keeper batsman scored more than 28,016 international runs at an average of 57.40 (in 134 Tests), 41.98 (in 404 ODI’s) and 31.40 (in 56 T20I’s).
He has also claimed 609 catches and a further 139 stumpings in international cricket.
The Tallawahs will start their CPL campaign with an away clash against St.
Kitts & Nevis Patriots on Saturday, 2 July and Sangakkara knows that this will be one of the most competitive campaigns to date on all fronts as Chris Gayle’s men bid to wrestle the title back to Jamaican shores.
In an exclusive interview with www.cplt20.com, which is available for free download and editorial use, the Sri Lanka legend reflected on the 2013 campaign, why playing in the CPL is special, on why the CPL’s decision to play matches in USA is a “great thing” and his excitement about returning to the Tallawahs after a three-year hiatus.
On his memories from the 2013 CPL-winning campaign: “I remember going into the Tallawahs knowing that it was a great team with Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and (Chadwick) Walton all in there. We had some great overseas player in Murali (Muttiah Muralidaran) and a few others. And just going to the semis and the finals, and the business end of the tournament. So there’s no pressure on me to go out there and perform! I just remember getting to Trinidad, where the matches were, and just absorbing the atmosphere. It was exactly what you’d expect of a T20 tournament in the West Indies.
It was just, you know, a lot of passionate followers, a lot of people having fun and West Indies followers know a lot about cricket.
They know their cricket very, very well. And it was just the most exciting atmosphere to play in. It helped that we won the semis and the final.
Paul Nixon was coach at that time and it was a great dressing-room, a lot of fun, relaxed cricket but a lot of good cricket. So I’m really looking forward to going back.”
On his decision to return to the CPL: “It’s not really a question of you making a decision of going into CPL.
There were a lot of different reasons, starting from the fact that the Leagues around the world are quite lucrative. Then of course you have the fact that it’s T20 cricket and everyone loves playing T20 cricket.
The fact that when you are a cricketer and you continuously compete, playing in these leagues gives you a lot of exposure, a lot of experience and you also play with a lot of different players in a lot of different set-ups.
It also helps you grow as a cricketer and as a person. And the other point is that it’s the West Indies. It’s the Caribbean. It’s calypso cricket and the initial year of any tournament, in a franchise format, is a difficult one.
And I think that the West Indies now, over the last three or four years, has built a fantastic brand in the CPL. And to have been involved in the initial stages is great. So there’s always a variety of reasons that you go and play and, for me, it was a mixture of all those reasons. I know the players quite well. Most of the West Indies guys I’ve played with are very easy to get on with. They’re fantastic natural cricketers in their own right, but also very good people. So it was always a ‘win-win’ coming to play in the CPL.”
On the rise of West Indies cricket in recent months: “The West Indies won the ICC World T20 in 2012. We played them in the finals and lost. Then to come back, having gone through some very troubled times, and to lift themselves in that unbelievable final.
You know, we were all seated around the TV and having a chat about what was about to happen. My comment was, ‘…if that first ball goes for six, it could be an interesting over!’. You know, you can’t write a script for an ending like that.
So, on the back of that, to get into the CPL with a lot of hype from the public from the support they have given the players and how it has been repaid with the World Cup, I think it will be another fantastic edition of the CPL.”
On returning to play with the Jamaica Tallawahs: “I’ve very happy to be back at the Tallawahs.
Jamaica Tallawahs Home Fixtures (all times local): 15 July – Guyana Amazon Warriors (8pm), 16 July – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (6pm), 18 July – Trinbago Knight Riders (8pm),20 July – Barbados Tridents (8pm).
Jamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Imad Wasim, Dale Steyn, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Jonathan Foo, Alex Ross, Kesrick Williams, Nkrumah Bonner, Garey Mathurin, Timroy Allen, O’shane Thomas. —- CPL
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