Experienced English T20 stars Alex Hales and Moeen Ali are setting their sights on making meaningful contributions to their respective franchises in the upcoming 13th edition of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Hales will don the colors of the Trinbago Knight Riders, his third CPL team after stints with the Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs, while Ali will represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the second season in a row.
Signaling their love for the tournament, both players have decided to skip The Hundred in favor of the Caribbean T20 showcase.
Hales, 36, is entering this season with added motivation, eager to make up for what he described as underwhelming personal numbers in previous campaigns.
His first CPL season came in 2019 with the Tridents where he scored 197 runs in 12 matches at an average of 16.41.
He then had to wait a while for his next opportunity, turning out in seven games for the Tallawahs in 2023, scoring 217 runs at an average of 36.16 including a highest score of 119*.
Hales says playing alongside the likes of TKR legends Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, and Nicholas Pooran offers both inspiration and opportunity.
“These guys are legends of T20 cricket,” Hales said.
“Even in my old age, I’m still looking to get better and develop. You have to in T20, there are so many analysts around that know your strengths and weaknesses. You always need to be looking to find ways to improve.”
He believes his stint with TKR could be pivotal in refining his game, particularly in areas like power-hitting, which he admits isn’t a primary focus for openers but could become a new weapon in his arsenal.
“Maybe I’ll work on my power-hitting a little bit. It could be something I look to improve over the next few months. In my two seasons so far, I probably haven’t scored the volume of runs I would like to have done. It’s definitely one of the tournaments I’d like to improve on.”
Across the region in Guyana, fellow Englishman Ali is relishing his return to the Amazon Warriors setup, a franchise he says holds a special place in his heart.
He made his CPL debut for the Guyana team last year but missed out on lifting the trophy after going down to eventual winners St Lucia Kings in the final.
Despite falling just short of retaining their crown in 2024, Ali is intent on going one better this time around.
“My first experience was amazing, apart from the final, but it was still a great day,” Ali said.
“It’s an amazing experience and ever since then, I’ve always wanted to come back to play in the CPL—and especially Guyana. The fans, the stadium, and the environment in Guyana is amazing.”
Moeen, 38, also paid high praise to the leadership of captain Imran Tahir, who guided the Warriors to their historic first CPL title in 2023.
Ali anticipates working with Tahir once more, and lauded the former South African International leadership qualities.
“Imran as a leader is brilliant; a real people’s person. He’s one of the best I’ve played under in terms of managing players, having clarity, adapting and planning,” Ali said. “He’s got all the qualities and experience. For three years he’s been in finals and is the first Warriors captain to win it. He’s done a brilliant job so far.”
The 13th edition of the Republic Bank CPL bowls off from August 14 to September 21.