Australian legend Adam Gilchrist will return to the region for the inaugural Caribbean Premier League tournament as the second international franchise player.
The Caribbean is the scene of one of his greatest cricketing triumphs.
The Caribbean Premier League is a T20 tournament that will showcase the beauty and talent of the region to the world.
The best cricketers that the West Indies has to offer playing alongside their international counterparts, coupled with the carnival atmosphere for which the Caribbean is world renowned.
The CPL will draw the attention of cricket fans across the globe. It begins on Monday, 29 July and ends on Monday, 26 August, with 32 matches broadcast worldwide.
CPL will have six franchise countries – Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. The contracted franchise players are Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Sunil Narine.
Gilchrist, arguably the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman in the game’s history, smashed 149 from only 104 balls in the final of the World Cup in Barbados in 2007.
It was against a Sri Lanka side including spin-bowling great Muttiah Muralitharan that included 13 fours and eight sixes and was typical of the way he played, a blockbuster style full of flair and fantastic clean hitting that has made him a fan favourite and revolutionised the way wicket-keepers are viewed in the modern game.
Now, Gilchrist will have the chance to cause more havoc on opposition bowling line ups at the CPL.
“I’m very excited to be on board with CPL, and am looking forward to be coming back and playing cricket in one of the most beautiful places on the planet,” Gilchrist said.
“The CPL will feature some of the world’s best cricketers and I can’t wait to test my skills and play in what is going to be a dynamic and exciting competition,” he added.
Gilchrist joins his former Australian teammate and captain Ricky Ponting as the latest international high-profile star to link up with the CPL alongside the West Indies franchise players.
He will find out which franchise he will be lining up for when the CPL draft takes place at the end of May.
Gilchrist was part of the all-conquering Australian side that dominated the sport for more than a decade from the mid-1990s.
From his first Test in 1999 to his last in 2008, he never missed a Test match, scoring 5,570 runs at an average of 47.60 with 17 hundreds, in the process becoming the first batsman to strike 100 sixes in Tests.
He has outstanding statistics, too, in the other formats and his wicket-keeping achievements are second to none.
Gilchrist also captained Australia in six Tests, 17 ODIs and two T20Is. He toured the Caribbean three times as a player in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
The left-hander retired from internationals in 2008, but since then has been playing in the Indian Premier League, first for the Deccan Chargers and then for the Kings XI Punjab. Now 41, he is due to take part in this year’s IPL for Punjab ahead of his CPL commitment.
Ninety players will be contracted to play in the CPL. Each of the six franchise teams will have 15 players.
All teams are required to have a minimum number of local players from that particular country.
At least four of them must be under age 23 and teams can also field a maximum of four international players.
More international players will be announced in the coming weeks, claim CPL organisers, as plans crystallise for the biggest sporting event in the Caribbean.
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