New Zealand wicketkeeper/batsman Tim Seifert has been chosen as the replacement player for Denesh Ramdin who was not retained by the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Guardian Media Sports understands on Friday that Seifert was picked up in the draft that was held on Wednesday. The player nicknamed The Flinstones is a ball beater and one who has been compared to a young Brendan McCullum, who is the TKR coach.
The youngster on T20 international debut ran down the pitch and clobbered Indian pacer Buvneshwar Kumar for six. In facing only his third ball he crashed it down the ground for another boundary. He counted 84 on debut against the Indians and this only required 43 balls.
Seifert's news comes on the heels of news that Indian Premier League (IPL) player Praveen Tambe will also feature for the TKR this year.
The tournament is yet to be given the green light by the government of T&T but sources close to the situation say it is just a matter of time before it is approved. CPL has given a proposal to the government which includes 33 matches in this country and the games to be split between Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. They are also looking to create a bio-secure environment at the Hilton Trinidad for all teams and officials.
The latest checks by Guardian Media Sports are that cabinet is yet to receive the note to approve as work in being done in conjunction with the Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram on the protocols needed for such a situation.
With CPL allowing teams to choose their foreign players, it means that players will be coming from all parts of the world. Areas that are considered Covis-19 hotspots and others that have dealt with the dreaded virus well.
T&T has dealt well with the Covid-19 pandemic with only 123 cases and eight deaths. Community spread is not evident and this makes this the twin-island Republic safe at this point.
The CPL is expected to be played from August 16 to September 10.