CPL organisers happy despite changes
From Trinidad Express
Organisers of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League say they are pleased with the second edition of the regional Twenty20 tournament, despite a lukewarm start two weeks ago.
The showpiece got off to a slow start, with noticeably empty stands at the first match in Grenada earlier this month and moderate attendances in Antigua but CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe said it was encouraging to see increased numbers of spectators attending the matches around the region since.
“We’re really delighted, it’s hard to believe we’re only three weeks in, and I think everyone will agree that the cricket’s been absolutely first class and the crowds that have come out, it’s very exciting,” O’Donohoe told CMC Sports. And we’re rolling into two big weeks next week with Jamaica and St Lucia, before we go to the finals in St Kitts.”
For the first time, Grenada’s National Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and the first three games before action moved on to Antigua and Guyana, the latter of which featured full houses for each match.
The Barbados leg, which bowled off last Wednesday, saw a capacity crowd for Saturday’s final game while matches in Trinidad and Tobago were played before a packed Queen’s Park Oval.
O’Donohoe said the sparse crowds for the opening matches had not impacted the tournament negatively.
“You see here in Barbados this week a sold-out stadium, three sold-out games in Trinidad this week, ticket sales are flying for both Jamaica and St Lucia so I really don’t see that being an issue,” he said.
“Grenada to start was disappointing and I will say Antigua was slightly disappointing but on a whole the ticket sales have been really good and the crowds have flocked in their thousands again.”
One of the major changes to this year’s tournament has been the start time for games. Last year, virtually all games were played at 7 pm, but the current campaign has seen some games bowl off as early as 10 am and midday, with the bulk scheduled for 4 pm.
Only a handful of night fixtures have been carded.
O’Donohoe told CMC Sports some adjustments were necessary to this year’s schedule because of the growing popularity of the tournament.
“Well obviously last year all the games were at 7 pm and this year it’s been a challenge because of the worldwide international TV audience,” he pointed out.
“We’ve had to schedule some games during the day and that has been a challenge from a crowd perspective but overall we sold over 75 per cent of the tickets so it’s been a great success.”
The CPL, which was inaugurated in 2013, replaced the West Indies Cricket Board-run Caribbean T20 which followed on from the Stanford Twenty20, created by now disgraced Antigua-based Texan investor Allen Stanford. He is serving a 104-year jail sentence in the US for fraud.
Six franchises—Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, T&T Red Steel and St Lucia Zouks – are participating in the CPL. The final is scheduled for August 17 at Warner Park in St Kitts.
For more on this story go to: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/CPL-organisers-happy-despite-changes-269143131.html?m=y&smobile=y
Related story:
CAL powers travel for CPL teams
From Guardian Media:
When the six Caribbean Premier League (CPLT20) teams meet in high-energy 20/20 matches, they do so powered by travel with Caribbean Airlines, the official carrier of the series. “As the Caribbean’s hometown airline, it is our honour to participate in the CPLT20, which is as much a celebration of the spirit of the Caribbean, as it is a world-class sporting cricket event,” said Alicia Cabrera, senior marketing manager, Caribbean Airlines.
As the official carrier of the Caribbean Premier League, Caribbean Airlines has taken the teams to matches in T&T, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada. Additionally, Caribbean Airlines Facebook fans have the opportunity to win match tickets to any of the airline’s North America destinations. “When you look at the challenges of holding a major international sports league across the Caribbean Islands, it becomes obvious that the most obvious strategic partner for any such event is Caribbean Airlines.” said Jamie Stewart, commercial director of the Caribbean Premier League. “With that in mind we are delighted to have Caribbean Airlines onboard as the Official Airline of the CPL. “Whether it be in terms of getting the players across the region as per of their hectic playing schedule, or making sure that fans can follow their teams as they progress, Caribbean Airlines is playing a vitally important role and we are delighted to have their support.”
Legendary cricketer Brian Lara, who is also Caribbean Airlines’ Ambassador, recently hosted several players for a rap session. Joining Lara were, Daniel Vettori, Jerome Taylor and Captain Chris Gayle of the Jamaica Tallawahs and Dwayne Bravo, captain of the T&T Red Steel. Speaking to the players, Lara said” “You gentlemen have the unique opportunity to bring a new generation of fans into cricket, and it’s exciting to watch this happening now.”
IMAGE: CPL T/20 players make the connection with Caribbean Airlines. From left,: flight attendants Meserte Antoine, Gabriella Gonzales, Melanie Williams, Deandra Richards with Daniel Vettori, Jamaica Tallwahs; Brian Lara, Caribbean Airlines Ambassador; Dwayne Bravo, T&T Red Steel; and Chris Gayle, Jamaica Tallwahs.
For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/business/2014-07-29/cal-powers-travel-cpl-teams
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The true bottom line
By Garth Wattley From Trinidad Express
My sister-in-law is not what you would call a cricket aficionado. But on Sunday last, she and her husband went along to the Queen’s Park Oval for an afternoon at the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20.
This is what she remembered–watching the fire-eater, listening to the rhythm section, experiencing the Mexican wave started by the man with the fake dreadlocks and seeing the stumps light up when they were struck.
Sister-in-law did also manage to notice that one of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel players was out but then not out–Kevin O’Brien called back on a no-ball. It didn’t matter to her that O’Brien was as far removed from being Trini to the bone as Ireland is from being in the Caribbean. She had a good enough time that her husband would probably have no case to make for getting her to go the CPL next year.
That experience made even more clear to me what the franchise cricket series has illustrated in its two-and-a-half seasons thus far–that quality entertainment in whatever form is the cricket bottom line these days. So on the weekend as people continued to pack the stands in the Oval, the debate over what the franchise based here should be called seemed irrelevant and yesterday’s news. It is not really, because the issue will again come into focus when the revamped West Indies domestic season gets underway. This is because of what West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron reiterated on the weekend.
“We are moving towards a structure where we are going to have players from all over the region playing for different teams,” said Cameron, during an interview on the Line and Length programme on the Sportsmax cable TV channel.
“Effective August and September we are going to have players from all over the region and potentially from outside the region who will be playing for these franchises and we are still going to call them Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad”.
These changes are part of the recommendations made in a report by the WICB’s new director of cricket, Englishman Richard Pybus, part of the Board’s effort to professionalise the game in the region.
“The draft allows West Indies cricket to level the playing field in resourcing franchise-type teams, affording all the TB’s (territorial boards) the opportunity to broaden and deepen their squads,” the report stated.
The franchise and draft system and the free movement of players across teams will therefore be the new reality in West Indies cricket. Supposedly.
If the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s undisguised lack of enthusiasm for the Red Steel’s adoption of the Trinidad and Tobago name is anything to go by, then the concept of territorial teams being mixed with non-nationals appears to be a hard sell.
The West Indies are unique in the cricket world because they are a collection of sovereign territories playing as one team. And Caribbean cricket has been established on inter-territorial rivalry and competition.
What these islands are being asked to do now is to break with tradition for the betterment of the sport; one can even say for the survival of the game.
Approaching two decades now, the standard of play in the region–and by extension–the standard of the international side has crumbled steadily like ancient ruins. For some time now, it has been clear that the regional first-class competition is not producing the quality of players that can return the West Indies side to the levels previously enjoyed. And there is no reason to believe that as things currently are, that suddenly batsmen averaging 20 and 30 will soon become 40-plus players. Radical change is needed. The question is whether West Indian administrators truly have the courage or the good motive to change. This proposed restructuring will be the acid test.
It is not that making mixing up regional teams will be all it takes to raise the level of cricket. In the CPL, the ability to pick from anywhere has not made the Leeward and Windward Island franchises Antigua Hawksbills and St Lucia Zouks significantly better. They both missed the semi-finals in the inaugural season last year and are currently winless in the second edition. But the franchise initiative in first-class cricket is one aspect of the approach to professionalise. And how the various boards approach this will be an indication of how prepared they are to give up something-real or perceived–for the greater good. History does not offer much hope for progress. Just observe how the territories have stoutly resisted reducing their representation at the director level of the Board.
So for all the nice-sounding and no doubt well intentioned words found in the WICB’s comprehensive strategic plan for 2011-16; and Pybus’ determination to effect change, let’s wait and see what really is this Board’s bottom line.
For more on this story go to: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/The-true-bottom-line-269143841.html?m=y&smobile=y
