CPL changes for the better – Jaime Stewart
Limacol CPL’s Commercial Director Jaime Stewart addresses the Media yesterday at the Guyana Pegasus.
Limacol CPL’s Commercial Director Jaime Stewart addresses the Media yesterday at the Guyana Pegasus.

“WE got extra games in the tournament this year and an expanded schedule in a sport event is a helpful thing,” says Limacol CPL’s Commercial Director Jaime Stewart at a Press briefing at the Guyana Pegasus yesterday. The third edition of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) bowls off on June 20 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados with a rematch of last year’s final between the Tridents and Guyana’s Amazon Warriors but, unlike the previous years, each team will play an extra four games.

The CPL yesterday announced the tournament schedule/fixtures showing each of the six franchises playing four home games with Guyana playing theirs closer to the end of the preliminary round on July 15 (Jamaica Tallawahs), 17 (St Lucia Zouks), 18 (Barbados Tridents) and July 21 against Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel.
All of the games in the tournament Stewart said will be played in the evening, adding, “I think it’s fair to say that we learnt that having too many day games is not the best idea and return to night cricket allows us from a position that it’s the biggest party in sport and it allows for everyone to bring the party at nights.”
“CPL is really suited to night cricket where people can knock off work and get together with their friends and go to the grounds and even watch it at home too,” the CPL Commercial Director said.

Game’s biggest players
Meanwhile, Stewart is of the opinion that the 2015 edition of the Limacol CPL will have the biggest pool of the game’s biggest names.
The star-studded Amazon Warriors will feature Sri Lankan stars Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thisara Perera along with Australia’s Brad Hodge and West Indies veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
But with the cloud currently over Sunil Narine with his bowling action and the injury concern over Malinga there is a little uncertainty in the air. The other potential issue is the strong Sri Lankan contingent they have in Perera, Dilshan and Malinga and the clash of international fixtures during the tournament.
Narine, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin and Christopher Barnwell will line up with Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Devendra Bishoo, Trevon Griffith, Assad Fudadin and Paul Wintz in an attempt to bring home the trophy after falling short in the finals of both installations of the CPL.
“If you look at the player-pool, we have the strongest that we’ve had so far in the CPL, the likes of Malinga and Dilshan playing for the Warriors even Brad Hodge, the Big Bash player-of-the-year twice; people like (Shahid) Afridi in St Kitts, Mahela Jayawardene with Jamaica, Jacques Kallis playing in Trinidad, Kevin Pietersen this time playing the whole season with St Lucia and it will elevate the event,” said Stewart.

Parity on ticket prices this year
Last year, the ticket prices in Guyana were the highest as compared to the other territories but this time around Stewart promises parity, even though noting that it’s the local franchises that set the tariff.
Meanwhile, having one of the most successful franchise despite falling short in both finals Guyanese felt that the Amazon Warriors should have had a chance to host the final this year which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago; the same as it did in the inaugural year.
However, according to Stewart, “CPL goes through a process with the various Governments; we’ll very much love to have the Finals in Guyana and we’re sure that will happen at some time in the future but it’s just that the Trinidad Government more desirous in having the tournament there and it was the same the year before.”
The geographical location of Trinidad and the fact that the Twin Island Republic also serves as an international hub for air traffic played a part in them having the go-ahead over other Caribbean countries.
“The fans in Guyana have been our biggest supporter across the region and we would love to have the final here and I’m sure it will happen in the future,” Stewart said.

By Rawle Toney

 

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