CPL 2018: St. Lucia Stars have a new signing in David Warner
What's the story?
Aussie opening batsman David Warner, who is currently out of action as part of his one-year exile from international cricket, is all set to make his debut in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as the St Lucia Stars signed him up for the upcoming season of the tournament.
The former vice-captain of Australia replaces fellow countryman D’Arcy Short, who was selected to be a part of Australia A's tour to India happening at around the same time, thereby making him unavailable for participation in the CPL.
In case you didn't know...
The experience of David Warner in the shortest format of the game reigns supreme over any other player in the world as he has amassed 7668 runs in 243 T20 games alone, including six tons and 59 fifties. He also has a good captaincy record in the format, having led the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden IPL title in 2016.
It looked like a very dominant purple patch period for the Aussie, before he was knocked down viciously by the ball-tampering row that shook the entire cricketing world back in March 2018, as Australia were playing a Test series against South Africa.
Warner and fellow-offender captain Steven Smith and fledgling batsman Cameron Bancroft were barred from playing International cricket for twelve months, but were allowed to participate in club cricket.
Earlier this month, the southpaw was confirmed to be a part of the Winnipeg Hawks in the soon-to-begin Global T20 Canada League. He'll also be seen in the Darwin Strike League in July where he will play for Randwick Petersham, his Sydney-based boyhood club. It is interesting to note that while the 31-year-old was not barred from plying his trade in the franchise-based tournaments around the world, BCCI went ahead and suspended him, along with Smith, from taking part in the IPL 2018.
Warner has played in T20 tournaments around the world including the IPL and the Aussie Big Bash, but this will be his first appearance in the CPL.
The details
With a CPL-media release confirming the signing on Saturday, June 16, Warner's new stint with St. Lucia Stars is expected to be the highest point of his career in recent times, after losing his position in his national and IPL sides.
Speaking about Warner's signing, St. Lucia Stars’ General Manager, Mohammad Khan said that the franchise was excited to have one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. He further added his expectations of Warner adding value to the dressing room and on the field as well.
Here is what the official Twitter handle of CPL tweeted out:
What's next?
A CPL title still remains elusive for the St. Lucia side, as the sixth season of the tournament is slated to begin on August 8, 2018. The month-long tournament will also feature fellow Aussies Shane Watson and Chris Lynn, apart from other foreign stars like Hashim Amla, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and Imran Tahir. A host of native players like Chris Gayle, Andre Russel, Sunil Narine and Carlos Brathwaite will also play for the various teams.
What do you think about Warner's addition to the St. Lucia squad? Would it be the shot at redemption that would put his career back in the right path? Let us know in the comments below: