DANIEL VETTORI REPLACES MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN in CPL

Wednesday 25th June - Kingston, Jamaica: Daniel Vettori has today been confirmed as the Jamaica Tallawahs' International Franchise Player, replacing Muttiah Muralitharan, who is now unavailable for the tournament.

Vettori, who was recently head coach for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will once again team with Chris Gayle as he and the Tallawahs aim to retain their CPL trophy. The former New Zealand captain will provide a wealth of experience and inspiration for his fellow teammates, not only from his extensive international career, but also from time spent in the Indian Premier League and Australian Big Bash.

Daniel Vettori said: "It's a privilege to be able to step in and help the Tallawahs defend their title. Having heard so many positive words about the CPL from my fellow cricketers, when the opportunity to come to the Caribbean and play in arguably one of the world's most flamboyant and exciting T20 competitions came along, I couldn't turn it down."

Damien O'Donohoe, CEO of the Caribbean Premier League, commented; "Murali certainly leaves big shoes to be filled at the Tallawahs, but we're confident Daniel has the ability and personality to become a valuable asset for the team. He's immensely popular throughout world cricket and his presence with the Tallawahs will only be a positive for his new teammates and the Biggest Party in Sport."

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League returns on July 11, as the Guyana Amazon Warriors take on the Antigua Hawksbills at the National Cricket Stadium, Grenada in the opening game of the tournament. The Tallawahs play their first match the following day, against St Lucia Zouks, at 2:30pm local time.