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CARRIBBEAN CONNECTION REMAINS STRONG IN BETWAY SA20 ERA

1 Jan 20243 mins

South Africa have long had a love affair with cricketers from the Caribbean, so it's fitting that a sprinkling from 'the islands' feature prominently in Betway SA20.

During Season 1, four of the six teams featured players eligible for the West Indies. Only Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the two finalists, didn't.

In Kyle Mayers (Barbados, 31), Keemo Paul (Guyana, 25) and Jason Holder, Durban's Super Giants had the greatest Caribbean influence in Season 1. Holder is not returning for Season 2, but big-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran has signed up as DSG's Wildcard and is sure to thrill the Kingsmead faithful. The 28-year-old from Trinidad showed exactly what he can do in top-scoring during the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) season, won by his MI New York team.

Mayers and Paul already did impress in Season 1; Mayers - before joining joining up with the West Indies mid-tournament - with his big-hitting at the top of the order (including earning a fan a share of the Betway Catch 2 Million loot) and crafty swing bowling while Paul's medium pacers and inventive lower order batting had its moments too.

At MI Cape Town it's also one in-one out, as Odean Smith (who took nine wickets in their below par campaign) moves on but 20-over legend Kieron Pollard joins the League. It may only be for a short time, as a temporary replacement for MICT's captain Rashid Khan, but Pollard already has an established reputation at Newlands following his 2015 exploits with the Cape Cobras - when his player of the tournament heroics guided them to the domestic T20 title. Furthermore, Pollard returns to the Newlands having captained MI New York to the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) crown alongside the Cape franchise's new coach, Robin Peterson.

Across the province, Paarl Royals had Ramon Simmonds and Obed McCoy in their inaugural squad. The 20-year-old former featured sparingly and has not been retained while the latter missed out entirely through injury. Nonetheless, the passionate Boland Park patrons will get a second chance at seeing what McCoy can do in pink and the left-arm paceman from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will be joined by Fabian Allen this time around. Allen (28) has taken up Royals' Wildcard slot and the Jamaican allrounder will look to get full value at Boland Park for his left-arm orthodox spinners and right-handed clean striking.

Meanwhile, up at Joburg Super Kings, Alzarri Joseph was let go but Romario Shepherd will return for Season 2. That only became a certainty for the 28-year-old from Guyana when JSK re-signed him during the auction. Shepherd recently showed why his mercurial talent is worth retaining - while his right-arm pacers are his trade stock, a fine display of his big-hitting ability claimed a rare ODI series victory for West Indies over England.