Dubai, Jan 15 (IANS): Adani SportsLine owned Gulf Giants announced that the former captain of West Indies T20 international team, Carlos Braithwaite will replace England's right-arm fast bowler Jamie Overton.
The English pacer will miss out on the entire tournament, in the United Arab Emirates, following a lumbar stress fracture.
Jamie Overton was intended as one of pillars of the Gulf Giants unit. The squad will miss the English fast bowler, who is also capable of contributions with his bat.
Having played T20 around the world, Overton has appeared in over 83 T20s and 88 First Class matches, including a Test match for the English national team, where he scored 97 runs against New Zealand.
Carlos Braithwaite will be joining the team to replenish the squad. The West Indian all-rounder is a seasoned T20 specialist with over 200 matches under his belt. Despite the injury of Overton, the arrival of Braithwaite means the giants are reinforced with a power hitter that can be deployed anywhere in the batting order.
The Gulf Giants kick off their campaign on Sunday when they take on the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, in their first encounter of the season at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Andy Flower, head coach of Gulf Giants said, "It's unfortunate he won't be part of the tournament given the nature of his injury. I wish him a speedy recovery. Meanwhile, I am happy that we are getting Carlos on board. He is a young dynamic player who will strengthen our squad."