West Indies superstars Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Evin Lewis are set to headline the inaugural Global T20 Canada after they were snapped up by Vancouver Knights in Sunday’s players draft.
Gayle, the world’s leading batsman in the game’s shortest form, was a first-round pick for the franchise, while all-rounder Russell, one of the most sought-after T20 players, was picked up in the second round, and Lewis was claimed in the third round.
Knights also selected West Indies T20 wicketkeeper-batsman Chadwick Walton, left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell and Bermudian all-rounder Kamau Leverock.
The Global T20 Canada season will run from June 28 to July 15 and feature six teams. Five squads were chosen at Sunday’s draft while the sixth — an All-Stars side comprising Caribbean players exclusively — will be announced shortly.
Meanwhile, West Indies and Sri Lanka commence one of the most infrequent of international cricket assignments when the first match of a three-Test series begins on Wednesday at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
More than 36 years since being granted Test status, this is just Sri Lanka’s fourth Test tour of the Caribbean and the first involving more than two matches.
