1 week ago
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Congratulations to the West Indies on a fantastic performance to come back and win the One Day International (ODI) series 2-1 against Pakistan. Remarkably, this was the West Indies’ first ODI series win against Pakistan in 34 years. There were excellent performances throughout the team in the last two games, with Jayden Seales, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, and Justin Greaves delivering standout performances. One can only hope that the players now understand the high level of consistency it takes to win an ODI series and, having tasted victory, that this is a sign of things to come.
The West Indies ODI series victory was perfectly timed, as two exciting tournaments kick off this week, promising a double dose of sports action for fans across the globe. First, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) bowls off today at Warner Park in St Kitts, with the home team, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, coming up against Antigua & Barbuda Falcons. I expect the CPL tournament to once again draw good crowds throughout the region, even though some venues may not be completely sold out. It sometimes feels like the popular T20 tournament has a greater following than the West Indies; just ask anyone when was the last time that they went to a West Indies game versus when they last went to a CPL game.
So, who will be the 2025 CPL champions? This year’s tournament is much more open than in previous years. The perennial favourites, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), should again be challenging for the top prize. Although they did not qualify for the final last year when they were beaten by the Providence Foodlights, their squad is once again full of seasoned T20 internationals. Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Colin Munro, Alex Hales, and Darren Bravo may all be on the wrong side of 30, but they can still produce scintillating performances at any time in a T20 game.
Nicholas Pooran, on his day, can be the most destructive T20 batsman in the world, so the opposition will be targeting his early dismissal. TKR’s bowling is well varied, with Sunil Narine again leading the way, with Mohammad Amir and Akeal Hosein lending the experience needed among the others. As usual, I can see them in the final four and could go all the way if the players give it their all every game.
The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons are a young team with a few older heads in Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan and Fabian Allen. They’ll be hoping their younger brigade in Justin Greaves, Jayden Seales, Shamar Springer and Amir Jangoo come good. They have talent, but I think they would have to perform extremely well to swoop into the final four.
Barbados Royals again boast a strong squad. Led by Rovman Powell, who seems to thrive when he is leading the team, they have an experienced batting lineup to call upon. The exciting South African Quinton de Kock leads the charge with a supporting cast of Brandon King, Sherfane Rutherford and Powell himself, who will surely take many a bowler apart when they get going. Their bowling will be steady with Mujeeb Ur Rahman as their ace in the hole. They’ll likely make the final four, but I can’t quite see them running away with the title.
Guyana Amazon Warriors should again be in the top four, playing the playoffs and final at home; they must start as favourites to win the title. Led by the irrepressible Imran Tahir, they seem to have the best-balanced team in the tournament. Their batting looks as strong as ever, but much will depend on Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, and Moeen Ali. The inclusion of Glenn Phillips should give their batting the impetus required to either set imposing targets or chase down anything thrown their way. What truly tilts the balance in their favour is the number of quality all-rounders in their squad, coupled with their spinning maestros, Tahir and Gudakesh Motie. Winner or runner-up, they will certainly be in the mix.
The St Kitts and Nevis Patriots flattered to deceive last year but have recruited well this year. Kyle Mayers has been elevated to the captaincy, and his experience should see him in good standing. The acquisition of Jason Holder is a plus as well, adding some serious backbone. Together with some exciting individual players in Evin Lewis, Rilee Rossouw, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Corbin Bosch and Waqar Salamkheil, if they can truly gel as a team, they can certainly compete with the best of them. I predict the Patriots might just be fighting tooth and nail with the Barbados Royals for that final playoff spot, making their games against each other all the more interesting, like virtual playoff deciders.
The defending champions, St Lucia Kings, will be hard-pressed to retain their title because they will be missing an important ingredient in their victory last year. Their former captain, Faf du Plessis, has opted not to play in this year’s tournament, and he will be sorely missed, especially for his astute captaincy. Tim David is their standout batsman, a proper powerhouse. The question is, can the likes of Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert, and Roston Chase lend enough support to David to post big totals? Their bowling is good and steady without being spectacular, but I am looking forward to the youngster Micah McKenzie getting a few games to see how he measures up to the competition. So, going back to the original question, who will be the 2025 CPL champions? My neck is too valuable for such a definitive answer, so let’s just watch the tournament and enjoy the atmosphere.
The other tournament that kicks off on Friday is one of my personal favourites, the English Premier League (EPL). The first game is between the defending champions, Liverpool, and Bournemouth. On paper, Liverpool are at home in their fortress at Anfield and should win it, but as we all know, no games in the EPL are easy; it’s the hardest league in the world, where even the last-place team can pull a rabbit out of the hat against a top-six contender.
Here we go again. Who will be the 2025/2026 EPL champions? I suppose you all know I will say Liverpool, and why not? Why can’t they be back-to-back champions? They have bought shrewdly in the transfer market, as their manager, Arne Slot, is certainly forging his team, exorcising the ghost of Jürgen Klopp. Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are exciting talents who will undoubtedly enhance the EPL, adding a dash of quality to the mix.
Manchester City, who, by their standards, were poor last year, also made some transfers, and with Pep Guardiola at the helm, they must be co-favourites for the title. It will be interesting to see how the team will be set up with the new additions; however, a lot will depend on the exploits of Erling Haaland. If he can recapture the scoring form he had two years ago, City will be a hard proposition to defeat.
Arsenal will again be challenging, but I feel they may again fall short, even though they are a talented team. They have bought two talented goal scorers, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres, as scoring goals was their problem last season. Can they help Arsenal turn it around?
Chelsea, having just been crowned Club World Cup champions, must be full of confidence starting the season. They have added some attacking options as well (Estêvão looks particularly exciting), but they have had some defensive setbacks, and I can’t see them taking the title. They will have their moments of glory, but not to win the title.
I suppose I will have to mention Manchester United simply because of the number of fans who support the Red Devils. They have attracted three seasoned and good attacking forwards, which will help them score goals, but I think they will be a work in progress; however, they should finish in the top six.
Another fan favourite here in T&T is Tottenham Hotspur. With a new manager in Thomas Frank, they should be more competitive, bringing a bit more fire to their game. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they quite have the player talent or depth to crack the top six. They will be well supported, but their style will have to change to pick up more points this season.
Enjoy the CPL and the EPL, folks! Exciting days are ahead!
English (US) ·