CPL draft kicks off 2015 T20 season

Australian Chris Lyn and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene were among the major picks for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise in the Caribbean Premier T20 League draft on Thrusday.

The experienced Jayawardene was bought for US$100,000, while Lyn, a hard hitting batsman was picked up for US$70,000.

Making a return to the Tallawahs are South Africa's Rusty Theron and New Zealand’S Daniel Vettori, while left arm medium pacer Krishmar Santokie returns home after being drafted by the Tallawahs.

Santokie starred for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first two seasons of the competition.

Guyanese Narsingh Deonarine will also be making the trip up north to the Tallawahs.

Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor and Chadwick Walton are the players retained by the Jamaican team coached by Micky Arthur.

Another Jamaican, West Indies ODI Vice Captain, Marlon Samuels, was picked up by the new franchise in St Kitts and Nevis, which also drafted big hitting allrounder Shahid Afridi.

The Sri Lankans Lasith Malinga, Tilikaratne Dilshan and Tishara Perera were all chosen by the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Shivnarine Chanderpaul also makes a return to the Warriors team.

The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel selected veteran South African Jacques Kallis and Pakistan's Kamran Akmal.

Defending champions, Barbados Tridents, selected South African Robin Peterson and Justin Ontong among their overseas picks while England's Kevin Pieterson returns to the St Lucia Zouks.