Barbados Tridents won the Caribbean Premier League title last season and with a strong squad at their expense once again, they look all set to defend their title in CPL 2020 as well.
Claim to fame: Champions (2014, 2019)
Coach: Trevor Penney
Captain: Jason Holder
Squad: Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr, Ashley Nurse, Jonathan Carter, Raymon Reifer, Justin Greaves, Rashid Khan, Johnson Charles, Nyeem Young, Kyle Mayers, Joshua Bishop, Shayan Jahangir, Corey Anderson, Mitchell Santner, Shamarh Brooks, Keon Harding
Probable Playing XI: Johnson Charles (wk), Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Corey Anderson, Jonathan Carter, Ashley Nurse, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Raymond Reifer, Mitchell Santner, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Strengths:
Quality All-rounders
The Trident’s biggest strength is their quality of all-rounders who are not only good bowlers but add depth to their batting lineup as well. Kiwi all-rounder Corey Anderson will most probably bat at No.4 and will be one of their sixth bowling options as well. There is Ashley Nurse too, who is mainly a bowler but Tridents majorly used him for the pinch-hitting role with the bat last year. He hit the most number of sixes during the tournament and will be sharing overs with Anderson most probably.
Skipper Jason Holder will not only lead their charge with the ball but will also slot in as a powerhitter lower down the batting order at No.6 or 7. And it doesn’t stop there as the Tridents have the likes of Rashid Khan, Mitchell Santner and Raymond Reifer coming after him in the batting order, all of whom are known for their batting abilities as well.
Exceptional Spin trio
No other team in this CPL edition can claim to have a spin bowling attack as strong as that of the Tridents. Rashid Khan, Mitchell Santner and Hayden Walsh Jr. are going to form a terrific trio of spinners. In fact, Walsh was the highest wicket-taker in the CPL last season and he can be expected to be even more lethal in this edition as he will have Rashid and Santner creating pressure on the batsmen from the other end as well.
Rashid’s abilities need no introduction. He is one of the best leg-spinners in T20 cricket right now and Santner, on the other hand, is just the perfect bowler to keep things tight from one end with Rashid and Walsh going on the rampage from the other.
Weaknesses/Issues:
Average batsmen
The quality of the batsmen seems to be the only issue for the Tridents. None of them are big names. Shai Hope doesn’t look like the best fit for this format and the likes of Shamarh Brooks and Jonathan Carter have never been reliable enough in the past as well.
There is too much pressure on Jonathan Charles’ shoulders. He was the third highest run-getter in the CPL last season and the Tridents will be banking on him to deliver once again.
Rashid Khan to depart early
Moreover, with the Shpageeza Cricket League preponed by a week now, Trident’s star spinner Rashid Khan might have to leave a bit early. He might be available only for the first eight games for the Tridents and his absence could be an issue going into the latter stages.
Expected Result in CPL 2020
Considering the squad they have assembled, the Tridents should easily make it to the playoffs once again. Things might get a little difficult for them without Rashid Khan from there on and that’s where the other players need to step up in order to defend their title successfully.