PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board has partnered with Queen’s Park Cricket Club to launch a historic Twenty20 franchise tournament here. Major Trinidadian companies – Carib Brewery, Petrotrin and Angostura – have already dished out $100 000 (US$15 748) for three of the four franchises, with Trini Posse snapping up the other.
These funds will be used to bankroll team rosters which will comprise a mix of local and foreign players.
Leg-spinner Samuel Badree will lead the Carib Bears and West Indies A opener Justin Guillen will captain Trini Posse. Former Trinidad and Tobago captain Darren Ganga will be in charge of Petrotrin while all-rounder Rayad Emrit will take charge of Angostura.
“We have named a captain and eight players for each team. We think that we have come up with the right mix so as to have very competitive cricket,” said TTCB cricket operations manager Dudnath Ramkessoon.
“The teams’ owners have a few days to consult with their people and come up with their final squad. They can bring in two foreign players and we have short-listed a number of possible options. If the team wants to bring in other players then they have to stand the extra expense.
“With the two foreign players, that would bring to 11 their squad and then they are now free to purchase three players locally to bring their final squad to 14 for the series.”
The tournament will run from June 22 to 24 and will be played alongside the T20 doubleheader between West Indies A and India A, scheduled for June 23 and 24.
In the championship match, finalists will battle for $30 000 with the runners-up collecting $15 000.
Keiron Serrette of one of the title sponsors, Tourism Development Company, said the tournament had huge scope.
“Recently we had former Minister of Sport Manohar Ramsaran take charge of our sports tourism trust and we thought that being involved in this event will show that T&T can become the hub for sports tourism in the Caribbean,” Serrette pointed out.
On the opening day, Trini Posse will meet Angostura at 14:30hrs while Petrotrin will come up against Carib Bears at 19:00hrs.
The losers of the opening games will then play at 14:30hrs on day two for the third-place prize of $8 000 with West Indies A and India A clashing in the opening T20 of their doubleheader at 19:00hrs.
On the final day, the winners of the first two fixtures will meet in the championship match with Windies A and India A playing their second match at 19:00hrs.