By Neto Baptiste
West Indies and Jamaica fast bowler, Sheldon Cottrell, will play for the winners of the inaugural Cool & Smooth T20 Explosion, Pigotts Crushers when they face CUB Bethesda Golden Eagles in the opening match of the 2022 edition of the tournament on Monday. Crushers, who won the tournament in 2013, selected the fast bowler during a private draft session held Wednesday night with the eight competing teams. Cottrell, who has claimed a total of 48 wickets in 41 T20 matches turned out for Empire Nation in 2019 when the tournament was last held.
Meanwhile, Jennings Tigers snatched up Scottish International’s George Munsey with the first pick of the draft. The batsman, who has scored a total of 1,535 runs in 63 T20 innings, will make his first appearance in the tournament. Also, with the seventh pick of the draft, Empire Nation selected Guyanese off-break bowler, Kevin Sinclair, who has claimed 10 wickets in 14 matches.
All Saints selected Trinidad’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Leonardo Julien, Golden Eagles picked up medium-pacer Nayeem Young of Barbados and New Winthorpes Lions snagged Gajanand Singh, former West Indies Under-19 cricketer who currently represents the USA.
Two teams, Rising Sun Spartans and defending champions, PIC Liberta Black- hawks, opted out of the draft and will select a player that was not made available during the exercise.
Spartans will employ the services of St Lucian all-rounder, Junior Henry, while Blackhawks have opted for fast bowler Chamiqueko Landefort of St Maarten.
Also turning out for Blackhawks will be Leeward Islands’ wicketkeeper-batsman Jahmar Hamilton, all-rounder Terrence Warde and all-rounder Kofi James. The squad is also set to include West Indies players Rahkeem Cornwall and Hayden Walsh