The St Lucia Zouks have failed to sparkle in the two previous Caribbean Premier League tournaments, but there is a feeling in the camp it could be third time lucky for Darren Sammy and his boys.
With overseas stars like Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor committing to the duration of the competition and the class of Sammy and the likes of Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach, some pundits are tipping the Zouks to challenge for the title.
"It will be a massive boost for us to have Pietersen available for the whole tournament" - Andre Fletcher
We grabbed a quick chat with their star batsman ANDRE FLETCHER, who has top-scored for the Zouks in both CPL's so far and also keeps wicket for his side, to find out whether he thinks they can win it...
Q How excited are you about the CPL?
A I’m very excited. I don’t think it’s only me that is excited - the other guys in team are. Everybody is.
Q Will this year be bigger and better than before?
I’m really expecting it to be better. The past two years have been very good. Seeing the talent that is coming is going to make it very competitive.
Q What will the likes of Mahela Jayawardena, Kevin Pietersen and Shahid Afridi bring to the tournament?
A The likes of Ross Taylor, Pietersen and Shahid are class cricketers. KP brought a good buzz to the team last year [during his two-match stint]. Having those guys around will be a very good help to the tournament. It will be a massive boost for us to have Pietersen available for the whole tournament. He brings so many other things with him as well. I’m very happy and my captain [Darren Sammy] is too.
"Cricket is something we love, and having the CPL is something big" - Andre Fletcher
Q What is KP like around the dressing-room?
A To me he appears to be a fun person - he loves to laugh and joke. We had a nice rapport last year, we enjoyed him playing at the Zouks and we are hoping with him there we can enjoy ourselves again.
Q Can he help the Zouks win the CPL?
A Pietersen is a match-winner - everybody knows that. Once he is playing at his best he can change any game for any team. Once myself and Johnson Charles get a good start then he can come in and let the runs flow.
Q How much fun is the CPL to play in?
A In the West Indies, cricket is something we love and having the CPL in the Caribbean is something big. We as players all look forward to it and not only us but the spectators too. It is around the carnival season and everyone is looking forward to it.
Q Who is going to be the biggest run scorer this season?
A Obviously, I’m looking to be at the top! I don’t know who will get the most runs but we at the St Lucia Zouks have a lot of players who can do it.
Q Who will take most wickets?
A I’m backing one of our bowlers, maybe one of our spinners. If we can get one of our batsmen to be top run scorer and one of our bowlers to be top wicket taker then we definitely should make the final.
