David Warner will play in the CPL for the first time this year

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia opener David Warner will make his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) debut this year after signing with the St Lucia Stars.

Warner, who was banned by Cricket Australia for 12 months for his involvement in a ball tampering scandal, will replace compatriot D’Arcy Short, who pulled out of the tournament since he will be touring India with Australia A in August and September.

Stars’ general manager, Mohammad Khan, was ecstatic that Warner had agreed to join the franchise as Short’s replacement.

“We are excited to bring David to the St Lucia Stars,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “David is arguably one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era and a winning player. He is going to add a lot of value on the field and in the dressing room as we pursue our first title.”

While Warner is banned from playing international cricket for a year, he will be playing a lot of competitive cricket as he joined the Winnipeg Hawks for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada, which starts on June 28.

He will also feature in the NT Strike League in Darwin, which begins in July.