WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC):

Outstanding Jamaican defender, Althea Byfield, will play for Central Pulse in netball's 2009 season of the ANZ Championship.

New Central Pulse netball coach, Yvette McCausland-Durie, confirmed Monday that star signings Byfield and Paula Griffin would play for the franchise when the new season starts in April.

Byfield, 26, is a key player in the set-up of World number four Jamaica. McCausland-Durie, who takes over after the sudden sacking of former coach Kate Carpenter one year into her three-year contract, named a 12-member roster for Central Pulse.

"I am really pleased with the mix of youth and experience we have been able to secure," McCausland-Durie said.

The cash-strapped franchise failed to win any of their 13 games in the ANZ Championship's inaugural year and they are bolstering their squad to improve their standing.

"We have a number of players from the central region as well as our first Silver Fern to be signed to the Pulse and the experienced Jamaican defender Althea Byfield," she said.

The squad has some players from last year's roster, including midcourters Cushla Lichtwark and Neesha Weiser, and shooter Jamilah Gupwell.

Byfield, a former basketball standout for Texas A&M University in US Collegiate action, will become the second Jamaican in the ANZ, after the young shooter Romelda Aiken.