Mehidy Hasan Miraz Set for CPL Debut After Joining Amazon Warriors
Guyana Amazon Warriors have moved quickly to reshape their squad for the closing stages of CPL 2026, bringing in Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz as a replacement for Mohammad Nabi and adding Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris in place of Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The changes come because Nabi and Gurbaz are leaving the tournament to join Afghanistan for a three-match T20I series in India beginning on September 13. Their departures remove two influential players from a Warriors side that has already secured a playoff place and has been one of the strongest teams across the Caribbean Premier League and the Global Super League this year.
For Mehidy, the move creates the chance to make his first actual appearance in the CPL. He was signed as a replacement player by Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017 but did not play a match. This time, with Bangladesh commitments not preventing his involvement, he is expected to be available to Guyana for the remainder of the season.
Haris, meanwhile, returns to a familiar environment. He represented Amazon Warriors during the Global Super League in July and August and now comes back as the squad adjusts to the loss of Gurbaz at the top of the order.
Mehidy Replaces a Highly Influential Mohammad Nabi
Replacing Nabi is not a routine squad change. The Afghanistan allrounder has played a major role in Guyana’s recent success, contributing with the ball, the bat and in the field.
Across the Global Super League and the ongoing CPL, Amazon Warriors have won ten of their 11 matches. Nabi has been central to that run, particularly with his offspin. He leaves the CPL as the leading wicket-taker among spin bowlers, having taken 12 wickets in six innings while maintaining an economy rate below six runs per over.
Four of those wickets came in the Warriors’ victory over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Providence. That performance helped confirm Guyana’s place in the playoffs and underlined how valuable Nabi has been in controlling the middle overs.
Captain Imran Tahir was especially generous in his praise after the Patriots match. He called Nabi an “absolute legend” and highlighted the allrounder’s bowling accuracy, batting ability, slip fielding and willingness to share knowledge with teammates.
Those qualities explain why Mehidy’s signing is a logical one. Like Nabi, he offers spin bowling and useful batting rather than filling only one role. The replacement is described as like-for-like because Guyana can maintain a similar balance without having to redesign the XI around a specialist bowler or specialist batter.
Why Mehidy’s Skill Set Fits the Warriors
Mehidy brings control with offspin and the ability to contribute runs, which is particularly useful for a side trying to preserve the flexibility it had with Nabi. A replacement does not have to reproduce every part of the departing player’s game, but the closer the role match is, the easier it becomes to keep a settled team structure.
That matters at this stage of the tournament. Guyana are already through to the playoffs, so there is little reason to create unnecessary disruption. The ideal replacement can enter the side, perform a familiar function and allow the surrounding players to continue in the roles that have made the team successful.
Mehidy is also available for the rest of the CPL season because he is not part of Bangladesh’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. That gives the Warriors some continuity. They are not bringing in a short-term player who may immediately disappear again because of an international call-up.
His earlier connection with the league adds another interesting detail. Being selected by Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017 means the CPL is not completely unfamiliar to him, even though he never made it onto the field. Nine years later, he now has a clearer opportunity to turn that earlier squad involvement into a genuine league debut.
Mohammad Haris Steps In for Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The second change concerns the top order. Gurbaz will also leave to join Afghanistan in India, and Amazon Warriors have brought in Mohammad Haris as his replacement.
Gurbaz had made a strong impact despite playing only two innings this season. He scored 93 runs in total, including 54 from 35 balls against Jamaica Kingsmen and 39 from 25 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Those innings gave Guyana fast scoring at the top and helped maintain the aggressive approach that has supported the team’s winning run.
Haris is not arriving as a complete outsider. He played for the Warriors in the Global Super League earlier in the year, so he already knows the environment, the coaching group and several of the players. That familiarity may make the transition easier than bringing in a batter with no previous connection to the franchise.
The Warriors also have internal options. Glenn Phillips could return to the XI in place of Gurbaz, with Shai Hope taking the wicketkeeping gloves. Local Guyana batter Matthew Nandu is another possible opening option if the team prefers a left-handed player at the top.
That depth gives the selectors room to decide whether Haris should be an automatic replacement in the XI or simply part of a broader reshuffle. Guyana do not have to copy the exact role Gurbaz played if another combination better suits the next opponent.
Afghanistan Call-Ups Trigger the Mid-Season Changes
Both Nabi and Gurbaz are leaving because Afghanistan are preparing for their T20I series in India from September 13. For franchise teams, international call-ups are a normal but significant complication. A squad can be performing well and still be forced to change because national-team schedules take priority.
Nabi’s situation is particularly notable. He did not take part in Afghanistan’s recent ODI series against Ireland, which Afghanistan won 4-0, because of his CPL commitments. He has now made himself available for the India series and will therefore leave the Warriors at an important stage of the competition.
From Guyana’s perspective, the timing is manageable because qualification for the playoffs is already secure. The team can use the remaining matches to integrate Mehidy and Haris before the knockout phase rather than introducing them with no preparation in a must-win game.
That does not make Nabi and Gurbaz easy to replace, but it gives the Warriors a little more room to experiment with combinations and roles.
Tahir Warns Against Complacency
Amazon Warriors’ strong position has not changed Imran Tahir’s message to the squad. The captain has warned that qualification should not be treated as a reason to relax.
Tahir said he was proud of the way the team had played across all departments and emphasized the collective nature of their success. His point was that different players have stepped forward at different times rather than the side depending on one or two individuals.
That mentality becomes even more important now. Nabi has been one of the standout performers, and Gurbaz has provided rapid runs, but their departures create opportunities for new players to contribute. Mehidy and Haris do not need to imitate the outgoing pair exactly if they can add value in their own ways.
Tahir also spoke about the atmosphere around the franchise, saying the players enjoy one another’s success and take seriously the responsibility of representing the Warriors. The team is sitting at the top of the table, but the captain does not want that position to become a source of complacency.
For a side already qualified, maintaining intensity can be difficult. The standings offer some security, yet the playoffs will quickly punish a drop in standards. The squad changes may actually help in that respect because incoming players have immediate incentives to establish themselves.
Guyana’s Balance Remains the Main Question
The interesting tactical issue is how the Warriors choose to replace what Nabi and Gurbaz provided.
With Nabi, the answer appears relatively direct. Mehidy can bowl offspin, bat and contribute as an allrounder. The exact overs and batting position may differ, but the broad role is recognizable.
Gurbaz presents more possibilities. Haris can provide attacking batting and wicketkeeping, but Guyana also have Hope and Phillips available in combinations that could change the order. Nandu offers yet another option if the selectors want a left-handed opener.
That flexibility is valuable because the Warriors are not forced into a single replacement plan. They can consider pitch conditions, matchups and the balance of the bowling attack before deciding how to configure the XI.
The fact that Haris already knows the franchise from the GSL reduces some of the uncertainty. He has played in the same environment, while Mehidy’s international experience should help him adapt quickly despite being new to actual CPL match action.
St Lucia Kings Also Make a Replacement Signing
Guyana are not the only CPL team adjusting their squad. St Lucia Kings have signed Kemol Savory as a replacement for Ackeem Auguste, who has been sidelined for medical reasons.
Savory, 29, is uncapped in the CPL and joins as another player hoping to make an impact late in the tournament. Auguste had appeared in five matches for the Kings during the 2026 season before stepping away.
St Lucia said Auguste’s health and well-being remain the priority and that he will receive the necessary care and support. The franchise wished him a full recovery and said it hopes to welcome him back once he is medically cleared.
The move is a reminder that replacement signings can come for very different reasons. Guyana are reacting to international duty, while St Lucia are managing a player’s health. In both cases, the challenge is to adjust without losing momentum during the decisive part of the season.
Mehidy Has a Chance to Enter a Winning Side
For Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the timing of the opportunity is attractive. He is joining the table leaders rather than a team scrambling to stay alive, and the Warriors already have a clearly defined structure around him.
At the same time, joining a successful side creates its own pressure. Nabi has set a very high standard, particularly with the ball. Mehidy will be judged not only on his individual numbers but on whether Guyana can preserve the control and balance that have made them so difficult to beat.
The same applies to Haris. Gurbaz’s two innings were short in number but productive, and the Warriors will want to keep enough aggression in the top order even as personnel change.
Guyana have built themselves a cushion by qualifying early, and that could prove valuable now. The remaining league phase gives Tahir and the coaching staff a chance to test the new combinations before the playoffs begin.