Not many gave Jamaica Tallawahs a chance
to qualify for the CPL 2022 playoffs,
let alone make the final, including
former West Indies spinner and now
commentator Samuel Badree. Every time Tallawahs’
Pakistan import Mohammad Amir would bump into
Badree, he would remind him of his pre-tournament
prediction and Tallawahs’ determination to prove
him – and several others – wrong.
After leading Tallawahs to an unlikely title – their
third overall and first since 2016, Rovman Powell
also expressed his hurt at the ‘disrespect” that was
directed to his team in the lead-up to the tournament.
Having said that there was also a good reason behind
the “Experts” not giving Tallawahs a chance before
the start of the tournament.
In 2020, Chris Gayle had exited Tallawahs in
acrimonious fashion after a spat with Ramnaresh
Sarwan. In the same year, Andre Russell called
Tallawahs the weirdest team he has ever played for
and it was only a matter of time before he would link
up with Trinbago Knight Riders.
The star-studded Knight Riders and St Kitts
& Nevis Patriots, who had won CPL 2021
and the inaugural 6ixty this year, were the
pre-tournament favourites, with Barbados
Royals emerging as the dark horses. All
these three teams had most bases covered
while Tallawahs’ line-up after the draft
appeared top-heavy and lacked a solid lefthand
batter. Tallawahs also picked just one
experienced seamer in Amir and punted
on South Africa’s Migael Pretorius and local
seamer Nicholson Gordon, who had not
played an official T20 before CPL 2022.
They had only one proper wristspinnner in
Sandeep Lamichhane, but he was released
from the tournament without playing a
single match in the wake of his suspension
by the Cricket Association of Nepal.
After somehow sneaking into the playoffs,
Tallawahs surmounted tremendous odds
to become the first team to win the CPL
final after having finished fourth in the
league stage.
In the final, too, the odds were stacked
against them even before a ball was
bowled. Amir, who had grabbed a charttopping
nine wickets in the powerplay this
season, was ruled out with a groin injury
he sustained during the second qualifier.
Then, his replacement Pretorius, who
had leaked 24 runs in two powerplay
overs, jarred his back while attempting a
catch in the outfield and hobbled off the
field.
That Tallawahs won despite losing two
key bowlers was down to the Tallawah
( Jamaican for being fearless) of their
Jamaican boys. On the big night, when the
title was on the line, Brandon King, Fabian
Allen, Gordon and Powell all stepped up
to make up for the absence of Gayle and
Russell, who were both central to their
victories in 2013 and 2016, and tear open
a portal to Tallawahs’ future.
Powell was overshadowed by Russell
for much of his early career. When he
first burst onto the scene, Kolkata Knight
Riders’ CEO Venky Mysore described
Powell as a junior Russell. During his first
IPL stint with KKR in 2017, he was picked
as a back-up allrounder for Russell. But
in the last one year, he has emerged out
of Russell’s shadows and carved out his
own identity as a gun T20 player. Powell
consciously worked on his technique
against spin with Robert Samuels, the
elder brother of Marlon, adding the
sweep and the use of the feet to his
repertoire. His improved game against
spin was vital to Tallawahs’ strong start
in the tournament and it was fitting that
he was there at the finish along with King,
another Jamaican star.
Like Powell, King has also been bothered by spin in the past, but he ruthlessly took
down Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Joshua Bishop in the final. After belting Mujeeb through
the covers against the turn, King lined up the inexperienced Bishop for four fours in the
12th over that put Tallawahs well ahead of the game. King then rushed Tallawahs home
with a flurry of boundaries against Mujeeb as well, completing his homecoming from
Guyana Amazon Warriors in grand style.
King’s 75-run third wicket stand, off just 35 balls, with Powell thrilled many Jamaica fans,
including Powell’s school-mate and sprinter Yohan Blake.
Allen also enjoyed a happy homecoming from Patriots – he took out Royals’ top three
– Rahkeem Cornwall, Kyle Mayers and Azam Khan in the final – and dedicated his
Player-of-the-Match performance to his late father.
While Tallawahs would’ve expected Powell, Allen and King to step up, it is Gordon’s
unexpected success that somewhat embodies Tallawahs’ success. Playing his first
T20 at 30, Gordon showed no signs of stage fright and carried his regional form
into the CPL. He bowled cutters into the pitch at the death and hid the ball away
from the reach of Royals’ finishers to help limit them to 161 for 7 with his 4-0-
33-3.
Gordon has a bit of Kesrick Williams about him. He backs his slower variations
against power-hitters and is big on celebrations. He celebrated even
before King smartly settled under a skier offered by Najibullah Zadran.
Gordon later said that he celebrated prematurely because he had so
much confidence that his team-mates would catch the ball every
time it goes up.
It was this confidence, and the Tallawah, that enabled the
Jamaica boys to beat the odds and clinch the title for
Tallawahs.