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Tridents hopeful of Shai Hope returning in time for playoffs

Shai Hope acknowledges the crowd after making a century Getty Images

September 26

Barbados Tridents have been without Shai Hope so far this season, as he continues to recover from the finger injury he suffered during the Test series against India last month. Coach Phil Simmons has said that he could be back from injury by October 5, in time for the playoffs.

Tridents have not replaced him in the interim, since, according to Simmons, they could not find an "adequate replacement" for the batsman. "He should only start back playing (by October) 5," Simmons was quoted as saying by Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. "We have not replaced Shai Hope because, when we look around the Caribbean, we could not find an adequate replacement."

Tridents are currently fifth on the points table, with two wins in six games. They have four more games remaining in the league stage.

September 25

England seamer Chris Jordan has signed for Trinbago Knight Riders for the remainder of the CPL. He comes in as a replacement for Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain.

Jordan has a wealth of T20 experience around the world in England, Australia, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand, but this is his first stint in the CPL. Ironically, Jordan could make his debut against his native Barbados in Thursday night's game.

Despite an underwhelming Vitality Blast season for Sussex, Jordan has kept his spot in England's T20I squads for their five-match series in New Zealand - though with youngsters Saqib Mahmood and Pat Brown also picked, he will need to perform well to confirm his status as their main death bowler.

Hasnain departs Trinbago after taking six wickets in four games and impressing with his pace, though he did leak 9.68 runs per over. He has returned to Pakistan to fulfil domestic and international commitments.

September 24

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has signed with Barbados Tridents for the remainder of the CPL and is set to join the team ahead of their match against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Bridgetown on September 28. He replaces legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane in the squad, who will be leaving for national duty.

Shakib has previously been part of three seasons of the tournament - in 2013, 2016 and 2017 - where, in 24 games, he made 243 runs and picked up 25 wickets, playing for Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs. He holds the record for the best figures in the tournament, when he picked up 6 for 6, playing for Tridents against Trinbago Knight Riders in 2013.

Shakib will join Tridents on the back of impressive performances in the World Cup and the T20I tri-series that followed, against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at home. He scored 606 runs in eight matches at an average of 86.57 in the World Cup. In the tri-series, he has made 96 runs in four games and picked up four wickets.

With two wins in six games, Tridents are currently at No. 4 on the points table.

September 23

Harry Gurney signs up with Barbados Tridents

A couple of days after turning out for Nottinghamshire in their Vitality Blast semi-final loss to Worcestershire at Edgbaston, Harry Gurney has confirmed his presence for Barbados Tridents for the remainder of their CPL 2019 campaign.

Gurney, the 32-year-old left-arm pace bowler who has turned out for England in ten ODIs and two T20Is - the last of them in late 2014 - had a good time at the Blast, ending with 22 wickets in 12 games. He now shifts to the Barbados team, which has been up and down this season - the loss to Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday night keeping them in fourth position on the six-team table - but are still in the run for a place in the playoffs.

Their next game is on Monday against Jamaica Tallawahs at home in Bridgetown.

September 18

Evin Lewis, Ali Khan fined for physical altercation

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots opener Evin Lewis and Trinbago Knight Riders quick Ali Khan have been fined 100% and 75% of their match fees respectively for breaching Article 2.2.4 of the code of conduct which pertains to inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players in the course of play.

The incident took place during Tuesday's game between the two sides. On the third ball of the Super Over, Lewis set off for a second run but the bowler Ali Khan got in his way. There wasn't a run, but Lewis didn't look pleased and pushed the bowler away. The fielders and the umpires had to intervene.

Both players pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanctions imposed by match referee Simon Taufel.

September 17

Narine suffers recurrence of finger injury

The recurrence of an old finger injury to his bowling hand forced Trinbago Knight Riders offspin-bowling allrounder Sunil Narine to sit out Tuesday's thrilling contest against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, which his team lost in the Super Over. It is understood although Narine was keen to play the match, the team management opted for caution after he felt some discomfort on the webbing between the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. This was the same injury that had kept Narine out of the last season of the Pakistan Super League. ESPNcricinfo understands that the injury is not serious and Narine will continue to feature in the rest of CPL.

Christian set to turn out for Barbados Tridents

Australian allrounder Daniel Christian will replace big-hitting Pakistan batsman Asif Ali at Barbados Tridents for the rest of the CPL season. Ali is set to return to Pakistan for domestic commitments. He did not get a game this season for Tridents.

Christian, something of a roving T20 specialist, comes with the whopping experience of 293 T20s, with 4464 runs and 221 wickets. He comes fresh from the Vitality Blast in England, where he played for Nottinghamshire, scoring 168 runs in nine innings and claiming seven wickets from eight innings with his medium pace.

September 16

Ingram replaces Thisara at Zouks

St Lucia Zouks have signed South African batsman Colin Ingram as a replacement for Sri Lanka allrounder Thisara Perera who has been denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) by SLC to continue playing in CPL 2019. The board prevented Thisara from featuring in the majority of the T20 league after he refused to tour Pakistan in September and October.

Ingram has been part of the CPL before, having won the title with Trinbago Knight Riders in 2018. He has vast T20 experience, including stints in the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League, and the T20 Blast in the UK.

Ingram has played 250 T20s so far, scoring 6308 runs at an average of 30.18 and strike-rate of 139.99.

Jamaica Tallawahs penalised for slow over-rate

Days after losing Andre Russell and Rovman Powell to injuries, Jamaica Tallawahs have been penalised with a 0.05 reduction in their net run-rate for a second over-rate offence in CPL 2019. An"applicable monetary fine" - the amount of which wasn't disclosed - was imposed on their captain Chris Gayle after Tallawahs had maintained slow over rates during both their meetings against Trinbago Knight Riders.

Tallawahs are currently rooted to the bottom of the points table with just one win in five games.

September 15

Jade Dernbach has found his way to the CPL for the first time, linking up with Jamaica Tallawahs. He was in action as Surrey's captain in the Vitality Blast, but they finished eighth in the nine-team South Group of the tournament, freeing the paceman up for the stint with the Tallawahs.

Dernbach has replaced Kennar Lewis, who is unavailable due to personal reasons.

Tallawahs have also announced the signing of the allrounder Dwayne Smith, who replaces Rovman Powell, who sustained an abdominal injury during the match against Trinbago Knight Riders. They have also added the batsman Jermaine Blackwood to their squad as cover for Andre Russell while he recovers from the concussion he suffered during the same match.

September 13

Colin Munro has linked up with Trinbago Knight Riders, champions of the 2017 and 2018 editions, for the remainder of CPL 2019 following the completion of New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka.

New Zealander Munro was the highest run-getter in CPL 2018, with 567 runs at a strike rate of 140.34, hitting six half-centuries in the team's victory march. He was a key cog in the Knight Riders' wheel back in 2017 too, top-scoring for them with 366 runs at a strike rate of 135.05.

In more good news for the franchise, currently second on the table (on net run-rate) behind Guyana Amazon Warriors with three wins from three games, Darren Bravo has been cleared to join the squad after having retired during the Jamaica Test against India earlier this month with concussion.

September 10

Jamaica Tallawahs penalised for slow over-rate

Jamaica Tallawahs have been penalised for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against Trinbago Knight Riders, played in Port of Spain on September 6.

It was a minimum over-rate offence, with the Tallawahs found to be just one over short, and an "applicable monetary fine" - the amount of which wasn't disclosed - was imposed on Chris Gayle, their captain, while, according to the playing conditions, the team was penalised with a 0.05 reduction in their net run-rate.

Knight Riders won the game by 22 runs.

September 9

Imran Tahir re-joins Guyana Amazon Warriors

Imran Tahir will re-join the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL after one of their premier bowlers, Shadab Khan, had to cut his stay short. A press release from the tournament on Monday said the Pakistan legspinner had to return home "due to domestic commitments".

Tahir played for the Amazon Warriors in 2018 where he claimed 16 wickets at 17.75 as the team made it to the final. The 40-year old South African retired from international cricket after the World Cup but continues to be a force in franchise T20s, having picked up 19 wickets in 13 matches for Surrey in the Vitality Blast last month.

The Amazon Warriors added another leggie to their ranks with Afghanistan's Qais Ahmad replacing USA's Saurabh Netravalkar, who is unavailable due to international commitments.

September 7

Injured Dwayne Bravo ruled out for the season

Dwayne Bravo's finger injury has ruled him out of the entire CPL 2019. Bravo, part of the Trinbago Knight Riders squad, was initially ruled out for "a significant part" of the tournament, and the franchise decided to appoint Kieron Pollard as the captain before the season got underway.

However, while initially expected to play some part at a later stage, Bravo confirmed that the injury was severe enough to rule him out of the tournament altogether.

"The next aim for me is rehab to try to get my fingers moving again, it is going to be a long process...I will back playing competitive cricket in about two months' time," Bravo was quoted as saying by the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

Pollard, who like Bravo is from Trinidad and Tobago, will be turning out for his home franchise for the first time in the CPL. Trinbago have made a solid start to this edition, winning their first two matches.

Barbados Tridents bring in Duminy and Lalor for Wahab and Imad Wasim

Former South Africa batsman JP Duminy and Australian fast bowler Josh Lalor are set to join Barbados Tridents for the 2019 CPL season. The pair will replace Pakistan's Wahab Riaz and Imad Wasim, who had to leave for international commitments.

Duminy, a veteran of over 300 international matches across formats, will be making his first foray into the CPL, having previously played in T20 leagues in India, Pakistan, England and South Africa.

Lalor, a 31-year-old left-arm seamer, was one of Brisbane Heat's standout players in the 2018-19 Big Bash League, claiming a hat-trick against Perth Scorchers and a five-for against Sydney Sixers.

Lalor has an experience of 37 T20s for 42 wickets with an economy rate of 7.92.

Tridents will open their season against Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 9.

Malik confirms no fracture after taking Hetmyer shot in the hand

Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Shoaib Malik has confirmed he does not have a fracture on his hand after being struck by a Shimron Hetmyer shot at the non-stirker's end on Thursday. He was struck during the 11th over of Guyana's innings against St Lucia Zouks, but went on to bat and eventually be dismissed in the 16th over. Malik tweeted that he had undergone a scan and was healing, and that the 13-run win against the Zouks would "help heal quicker".

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots penalised for slow over rate

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have been penalised for a slow over rate after their 11-run loss to Trinbago Knight Riders in the opening game of this year's CPL. A media release said the "applicable monetary fine" was imposed on the captain, Carlos Brathwaite, and the team was penalised with a 0.05 reduction in their net run rate. Patriots were charged with a breach of Article 2.5 of the CPL Code of Conduct as they were one over down. The charge was laid by match officials against Brathwaite, who accepted it.

Pollard replaces injured Bravo as Trinbago Knight Riders captain

Kieron Pollard will take over as captain of the Trinbago Knight Riders after Dwayne Bravo suffered a finger injury that could rule him out for a significant part of the upcoming Caribbean Premier League. Pollard had been picked as Trinbago's marquee pick is set to represent his home franchise for the first time in the tournament.

"It's a very unfortunate injury, and Dwayne Bravo will be greatly missed," Venky Mysore, director of Trinbago franchise, said. "However, we are fortunate to have someone of the calibre of Kieron Pollard to take over the reins from Bravo. His leadership abilities are well proven and, like Bravo, will bring a very aggressive style as captain in TKR's quest for a third championship in a row."

Trinbago will begin their campaign in the opening match of the tournament, against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Port of Spain on September 4.

Taufel to train CPL match officials

Simon Taufel, the retired Australian umpire, has joined the CPL match officials team in a dual role. He will be one of the travelling match referees during the tournament, and also serve as umpire trainer and assessor.

"Simon's resume speaks for itself, and we are happy that he will be sharing his vast experience and knowledge in support of our tournament umpires," CPL tournament operations director Michael Hall said. "Since June, in collaboration with Peter Nero, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Umpire Trainer and Assessor, he has been conducting remote training sessions with all CPL match officials, and this will culminate in a one-day seminar and workshop in Trinidad on September 3rd."

Taufel said he had "no hesitation" in accepting the assignment. "Quite apart from having always enjoyed being in the Caribbean, the opportunity to support the tournament by developing reporting processes and systems which will provide more robust feedback on the performance of all the umpires in the tournament was something which definitely appealed to me."

Jerome Taylor re-signs with Jamaica

Jamaica Tallawahs have roped in fast bowler Jerome Taylor as a replacement for Pakistani seam-bowling allrounder Ahmad Butt, who will be unavailable for the entire CPL 2019 because of domestic commitments. Taylor was more recently part of the Vitality Blast in England, taking 14 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.46 for Somerset. Taylor has also played for Jamaica in the CPL before, picking up 22 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 7.93.

Jamaica will kickstart their CPL campaign against defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders on September 6 at the Queen's Park Oval.

August 30

West Indies' Lendl Simmons will replace New Zealand opener Colin Munro for the first three matches for Trinbago Knight Riders. Munro will be in Sri Lanka for the upcoming T20Is starting September 1 and Simmons will fill in for the CPL matches on September 4, 6 and 8.

This will be Simmons' fifth franchise in the CPL, having appeared for Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Jamaica Tallawahs, and the first time for his home franchise in Trinidad.

For the Patriots, Alzarri Joseph will replace Sri Lanka quick Isuru Udana, who will be unavailable for the entire CPL due to international commitments. Joseph has represented the Patriots since 2016 and is returning to competitive cricket since the arm injury he picked up during the IPL in April.

"It is always frustrating to lose players so close to the start of a tournament but in Alzarri we have a local player who is world-class and has a track record of success," Patriots director of cricket Robin Singh said. "As a very promising young fast bowler it is exciting to have Alzarri with us. We feel that the Patriots have a very strong squad this year and we are confident of making the knockout stages and pushing for our first title."

August 27

The Zouks announced a number of changes to their squad with Lasith Malinga to be replaced by Krishmar Santokie for the first two games and by Colin de Grandhomme for the remainder of the tournament.

Thisara Perera will miss the first two matches, to be replaced by Afghanistan's Najibullah Zadran whereas Niroshan Dickwella will miss the entire tournament to be replaced by Cameron Delport for the first two games and by Hardus Viljoen for the remaining matches.

South Africa's Beuran Hendricks is also no longer available due to international commitments and his place will be taken by Dominican allrounder Kavem Hodge.

August 20

For Tallawahs, Jamaica batsman Kennar Lewis will replace USA's Xavier Marshall who will be unavailable until September 14, also due to international commitments. Marshall was drafted as Tallawahs' ICC Americas player but draft rules allow for him to be replaced by a Caribbean or an overseas player.

Lewis will join Chris Gayle and Andre Russell at Tallawahs who will play their first game on September 6 against Knight Riders.