من الأشهر اليوم؟

AS the countdown begins to the 2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), two high-profile English signings—Alex Hales of Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and Moeen Ali of Guyana Amazon Warriors—are setting their sights on making a meaningful impact in the region’s flagship T20 tournament.
For Hales, this marks a third return to the CPL, but the 35-year-old English opener is entering this season with added motivation.
Eager to make up for what he described as underwhelming personal numbers in previous campaigns, 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.”
Hales, a right-handed batsman, 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.”
Hales previously played with the Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs.
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.
Ali 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 recalled. “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 also paid high praise to the leadership of captain Imran Tahir, who guided the Warriors to their historic first CPL title in 2023. Tahir is considered a franchise hero, after he guided Warriors to their maiden crown after settling for runner-up spot at five previous editions.
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.”
For Hales and Ali, this year is about legacy, performance, and helping their teams chase CPL glory.
The 13th edition of the Republic Bank CPL bowls off from August 14 to September 21.
The post English players Alex Hales, Mooen Ali eye CPL redemption and glory in 2025 return appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.