Friday 8th August 2014 – Basseterre, St. Kitts. Two of cricket’s great entertainers meet this Saturday in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League as Chris Gayle’s high flying Jamaica Tallawahs take on a rejuvenated St. Lucia Zouks who welcome Kevin Pietersen to their team.
Speaking ahead of his CPL debut tomorrow, Kevin Pietersen is looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere and energy of the St. Kitts crowd and entertaining them with some hard fought cricket.
Kevin Pietersen said; “Warner Park is a tight ground and the wicket looks very good for batting, so we should be in for the kind of cricket the crowds want to see. The Zouks have been very competitive in their matches in the tournament without quite getting over the line in a few close games. This weekend we will be looking to build on our first win in the last game and take up the challenge of playing two of the form teams in the competition”.
Jamaica Tallawah’s captain, Chris Gayle said; “This is a big game for us against the Zouks as we have the opportunity to go to the top of the table if we win. With Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel losing last night, the door is ajar for us to try and qualify automatically for the final so that is what we are focused on this weekend.”
Kevin Pietersen also spoke of the responsibility experienced players such as himself and Chris Gayle have in offering advice to young team mates and helping inexperienced players to develop their game.
Kevin Pietersen said, “Competitions such as the CPL and IPL are very important in giving new talent in the region the opportunity to play against some of the best local and international players. As an experienced player, I try to help any young player in my team by offering whatever advice they would like in relation to their game. The Caribbean is a wonderful place to play cricket and the CPL is the best type of academy for the next generation of cricketers in these islands, and it is really nice to be a part of that.”
On Saturday 9th August, the St. Lucia Zouks play against Chris Gayle’s Jamaica Tallawahs at 12pm and the Antigua Hawksbills take on the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel at 4pm, both at Warner Park, St. Kitts.