Latest update February 10th, 2025 5:23 AM
Captains confident ahead of today’s Playoffs at Providence
By Sean Devers
The Captains of three of the four franchises which will battle in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Playoffs at the Providence Stadium today with the aim of winning the seventh edition of the tournament in the October 12 final spoke at Providence yesterday.
Captains all, from left, Carlos Braithwaite, Shoib Malik and Jason Holder. Absent is TKR Skipper, Keiron Pollard.
Today marks the tournament’s defining double-header, for Trinbago Knight Riders and St. Kitts Patriots, a loss would end their campaign while for Guyana Amazon Warriors or Barbados Tridents, win gets them straight to the final, and a loss gets them into the eliminator in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
At the pre-match press briefing, all four captains stated, the performances of the preliminary stages are out the window and they will start a fresh.
“There is no overconfidence in our team; I guess every day is a new day. What we would have achieved was exceptional but that is the past. What is coming tomorrow (today), we are just focusing on that.” said the vastly experienced 37-year-old Warriors Captain, Shoaib Malik.
“Everyone has their expectations. If you start thinking about all of that you put extra pressure on yourself. We are already in the playoffs. This is a new year, a new season. I am one person who does not look too much at the past.” explained Malik.
“It has been a really good tournament. We have had an up and down campaign and tomorrow’s (today’s) game will be very keenly contested and we are looking forward to the match.”
“We have been showing good glimpses of form throughout this campaign and our bowlers have carried us through while our batting was indifferent. Shakib [Al Hasan] has been a good addition, not just in terms of his performance but in terms of leadership.” said the former West Indies ODI Captain, Jason Holder.
“Warriors have been playing good cricket, and they have had different persons playing well for them…but they are beatable… you have to play good cricket on the day, we gifted some our matches away and we look forward to beating Guyana at home.” Holder concluded.
According to Carlos Brathwaite, Captain of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, his team wants to win their first title and playing Trinidad and Tobago who have lost five games straight is a plus for his team.
“For us it not concentrating on their form but more on ours. Once planning for them we would look at what caused them to lose,” said Braithwaite, the former Windies T20 Skipper.
“I think Sunil Narine will be a factor. I know the type of character he is and I am sure he will want to play and help lead his team to success.” Braithwaite added.
“Two teams would have like to be in our position, which is the playoffs, so we are still in a good position, we have to take the longer route to the final. Once we get a win, we can push to the final.”
Pollard, who turned up late yesterday, also spoke about the void Narine’s absence has created
and they will do a fitness test today to determine his readiness. The first playoff starts at 11:00hrs and the second from 15:30hrs.
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