CPL Draft: Big names go unsold on day that proved Hales' stock has not fallen

With the inaugural Euro T20 Slam overlapping with its Caribbean equivalent, the likes of Rashid Khan, Luke Ronchi, Shane Watson, Brendon McCullum and Chris Lynn have already committed to taking part in the new competition

Alex Hales was the day’s big mover at the Caribbean Premier League draft as the England batsman was picked up by the Barbados Tridents on an action-packed afternoon at the Gfinity Esports Arena in London.

Hales, jettisoned from England’s World Cup squad on the back of a second failed recreational drugs test, was one of few big overseas names to attract bids from the six CPL franchises.

With the inaugural Euro T20 Slam overlapping with its Caribbean equivalent - now in its seventh edition - the likes of Rashid Khan, Luke Ronchi, Shane Watson, Brendon McCullum and Chris Lynn had already committed to taking part in the competition being co-hosted by the cricketing bodies of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.

It meant that franchises were forced to be creative around the selections of their major stars. St Lucia Stars drafted in Lasith Malinga as their marquee signing in the first round of proceedings, with the ageless Sri Lankan death-bowling master still riding the crest of a wave after his IPL final heroics earlier this month.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots followed their rivals in championing Sri Lankan death-bowlers; Isuru Idana – an expert in the final overs with both bat and ball - may seem like a left-field pick, but comes on the back of a plethora of inspired displays of ball-striking in Sri Lanka’s recent ODI series defeat to South Africa.

Shadab Khan – back fit and with Pakistan ahead of the World Cup - was drafted in as Guyana Amazon Warriors’ first-round selection, while Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo were, unsurprisingly, retained by their respective teams. Bravo led Trinbago Knight Riders to the title in last year’s tournament.

^{Unsurprisingly, Russell was retained by the Jamaica Tallawahs.}

Joining Russell – perhaps the world’s premier T20 cricketer at present - at Jamaica Tallawahs is Chris Gayle. It was already known that the Universe Boss was to return to his home team, but the thought of him, Russell and fellow Jamaican Chadwick Walton lining up alongside one another remains a mouth-watering prospect.

The destinations of Kieron Pollard - with Knight Riders - Jason Holder as Tridents’ captain, and young gun Nicholas Pooran at Guyana were already known.

Elsewhere, the day’s most significant moments seemed to come as the latter rounds progressed. It is hard to argue with any of the Tridents’ work on the day; Sandeep Lamichhane, Ashley Nurse and Imad Wasim – a ninth-round pick, no less – represent the makings of a mightily effective bowling attack, especially given a turning surface.

The Pakistani duo of veteran left-armer Wahab Riaz and the eccentric late-hitting of Asif Ali add further steel to a side that looks well equipped to challenge Trinbago, who have dominated the competition in recent times.

However, things will be different at Knight Riders’ HQ this time around; Fawad Ahmed, the star of last year’s triumph and the top wicket-taker in the glorious team, was dumped. He will pitch up in St Lucia – another wise old head in a team full of them. Of course, Chennai Super Kings’ run to the IPL final is proof that such a model still holds credence.

Trinbago, though, did appear to be a team with a plan. Sat quietly in the corner, their objective – Ahmed apart – was about retention. Why wouldn’t it be for a team so dominant in the last couple of years? Jimmy Neesham was added, a deal almost certainly influenced by the impact of previous Kiwis at the franchise.

Jimmy Neesham joins his countryman, Colin Munro, at the Knight Riders.

He is joined by the returning Colin Munro. And while Brendon McCullum will be absent, you’d be surprised if he hadn’t slipped a word of advice through to his former bosses. Neesham is everything you’d want in a tournament that describes itself as ‘sport’s greatest party’. A jovial character with a sense of humour to match, his all-round skills mark him out as the ideal overseas signing.

A similarly bustling, game-changing allrounder, Thisara Perera has pitched up at St Lucia alongside Malinga, his long-time international teammate, while Niroshan Dickwella – cruelly left out of his country’s World Cup squad – will no doubt add a terrific eccentricity to the tournament. He, too, will be based in St Lucia, as will the big man, Rahkeem Cornwall – an underrated customer with both bat and his part-time off-breaks.

As the day rolled to a close - and what a long afternoon it was too - there was still time for the ICC Americas players to be allocated to their teams. In amongst a money-making extravaganza of colour and razzmatazz, it must be said that this is a terrific initiative. More of these tournaments should do it.

Ali Khan was rewarded for a terrific 2018 with an extended stay with Bravo’s Knight Riders, while there is to be a heartwarming return to Caribbean cricket for Xavier Marshall, the former West Indies Test player who has reinvented himself as the focal point of the USA’s successful drive for ODI status.

And if one blast from the cricketing past was not sufficient, then how about Nitish Kumar. He only turned 25 earlier this week. Yet, in 2011 he became the World Cup’s youngest ever player when he turned out for Canada as a 16-year-old schoolboy.

It was a fitting end to an intriguing afternoon – one possibly more significant because of who won’t be joining the CPL party come September than who will be.

Yet, conversely, there was something heartening in Hales’ appearance at the draft. He seemed contented and, when he spoke, he spoke well. Neither can have been easy after a tumultuous few weeks. In the crazy, all-action world of global T20 cricket, his first-round pick does suggest one thing. Class is permanent. His stock has not fallen here.