Tridents pick Morris in CPL 2021 draft, Hasaranga goes to Patriots
Seven Pakistanis will feature this season, including first-timers Haider Ali, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Amir and Azam Khan
Chris Morris is set to play in the CPL for the first time after being picked by the Barbados Tridents • BCCI/IPL
Wristspinners were in particular demand with the entire 2021 season set to be played in St Kitts & Nevis. Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who had turned out for the Tallawahs last season, was signed by the Knight Riders, the defending champions, as a like-for-like swap for Fawad Ahmed.
As many as seven Pakistani players will be action this season, including Haider Ali, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Amir, and Azam Khan, who have never featured in the CPL before. Azam, the son of the former Pakistan keeper Moin, has a strike rate of 157.41 in T20 cricket and was part of the Galle Gladiators side that finished runners-up in the LPL last December.
Seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul, who recently missed a West Indies central contract and retention at the Amazon Warriors, was a second-round pick for the Zouks. Paul will link up with Alzarri Joseph, his former Under-19 World Cup team-mate.
Smit Patel, the former India Under-19 wicketkeeper-batter, who has now reportedly moved to the USA, filled up the Tridents' 17th slot as a Major League Cricket pick. Patel, 28, has played 55 first-class matches and had also participated in the most recent 50-over and 20-over domestic competitions in India for Baroda. According to the draft regulations, a franchise can pick an MLC player, a West Indies local player, or not pick anyone as their 17th pick. The Amazon Warriors were the only franchise that opted against selecting a player in the 17th round.
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Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo