Barbados Royals: SWOT Analysis

The tenth edition of the Caribbean Premier League is around the corner. In our SWOT analysis series, today we will discuss about a team which lifted the trophy in 2019, but had ordinary campaigns in the next two years. Yes, you guessed it right. So, let's find out the strengths of Barbados Royals and what challenges they might face during the tournament. 

Strengths

Balanced batting lineup

David Miller [PC: Twitter]

The presence of Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, David Miller, Azam Khan, Jason Holder etc., makes the Royals' batting unit a really balanced one. Apart from these players, Rahkeem Cornwall and Corbin Bosch can also provide handy contributions. So, we expect their batting unit to fire in most of the encounters. 

Variety in spin bowling

Hayden Walsh Jr [PC: Twitter]

Barbados Royals have Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Bishop and Hayden Walsh Jr. While Cornwall is a right-arm off-spinner, Bishop is a slow left-armer, and Walsh is a leg-spinner. This kind of variety makes their spin unit a complete one. Further, it assures them to use these spinners against their favourable matchups in the game. 

Weakness

Pacers' death bowling 

While the Royals have ample bowling options in their lineup, their pacers' death bowling is something that will concern them in the tournament. While Oshane Thomas and Jason Holder have a career T20 economy of more than 10, Obed McCoy has recorded a mediocre economy of 9.53 in the death overs in his T20 career. 

Opportunity

Joshua Bishop

Joshua Bishop [PC: Twitter]

Joshua Bishop, a young spinner from Barbados, has been impressive in the domestic circuit since debuting in 2017. Bishop, known for his wicket-to-wicket bowling, grabbed many eyeballs by picking six wickets in four matches in the CPL last season. He also had some decent outings in the recently concluded Men's 6ixty tournament. So, we can expect him to get more games and establish himself as one of the leading spinners at the end of this season. 

Threat

Openers' vulnerability against left-arm seamers

The Royals will likely slot Rahkeem Cornwall and Quinton de Kock at the top. However, this pair doesn't have a great record against left-arm seamers. While De Kock averages 23.57 against the left-arm pacers in the powerplay since 2020, Cornwall's career average against the same bowling type in the same game phase is a mere 16.8. So, the left-arm pacers can emerge as a threat for this duo in the initial phase of the game. 

Strongest XI

Quinton de Kock (wk)
Rahkeem Cornwall
Kyle Mayers
David Miller (c)
Azam Khan
Jason Holder
Corbin Bosch
Joshua Bishop
Hayden Walsh Jr
Obed McCoy
Oshane Thomas

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