Webster: Dwayne Bravo, Ahmed return a plus for TKR

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) batsman Tion Webster believes the return of Dwayne Bravo and Fawad Ahmed is a plus for the local franchise in the forthcoming 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament.

The tournament will be held in Trinidad from August 18 to September 10 with matches being played at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair and at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

This is the first time the entire tournament will be held in one country.

Bravo missed the entire 2019 tournament after getting a finger injury days before the competition began.

Australian leg-spinner Ahmed was the tournament's leading wicket-taker in the 2018 edition for TKR with 22 wickets. Ahmed played for the St Lucia Zouks in 2019, but has returned to TKR this year.

Talking about TKR's chances, especially with the return of Bravo and Ahmed, Webster said, "I think our team this year is a good balanced team, a very strong team having Fawad back and the (former) captain Dwayne. I think they are two great players you could depend on in any situation, so having those guys with us is a good plus for us."

Webster only played three matches in the 2019 edition, but one knock included an unbeaten 66 off 49 deliveries. When Colin Munro returned from international duty with New Zealand for the fourth TKR game, Webster was left out of the starting XI.

Webster is hoping for a place in the starting XI. "I am feeling very confident having played last year in the CPL. I played only three games, (but) one game I had a 50 so the confidence is there. I am looking forward to this one, looking for a positive start and I can't wait for it to start. Hoping obviously to get more opportunities this year."

Competition in the batting is stiff in the TKR squad as the Bravo brothers Dwayne and Darren are available from match one.

Darren, a top order left-handed batsman, missed four matches due to a concussion while playing for West Indies before the CPL.

No fans are allowed to attend the matches because of the covid19 pandemic.

"Playing (at) home everybody will be comfortable. I think having the fans gives you the extra drive and motivation...without it I don't know what will happen, but I think people will still be motivated to win the tournament."

Cricket has been relatively quiet since the covid19 pandemic began in March. Several of the TKR players, including Webster, have been getting some playing time in the Central Super League T10 tournament over the past week and a half. Webster has not let the downtime affect his readiness.

"I have been home doing my personal thing. I am focused on it, I was working towards it...I have been back out practising probably close to four weeks now getting (some) hitting in and I am feeling good. (I am) not feeling too rusty."