ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief Julian Hunte says he is pleased with the new faces that have emerged from the inaugural Caribbean Twenty20 Trophy and says the WICB plans to build on the success of the tournament. Guyana were crowned regional T20 champions when they beat Barbados by one wicket with a ball to spare, in a thrilling final at Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday night.
The match capped off nine days of exciting action which began in Barbados with the first leg before moving to T&T last Monday.
“It was a delight to see several new players coming to the forefront and showing their quality and we hope to see much more of them in the future as we strive to revitalise West Indies Cricket,” Hunte said.
The tournament was the first regional T20 staged since the now defunct Stanford 20/20 finished in 2008 and saw young players like Guyanese Jonathan Foo and Davendra Bishoo, Jamaican Krishmar Santokie and Barbadian Javon Searles coming to the fore.
Hunte said the WICB had been pleased with the response to the tournament, especially with the large crowds that turned out in Barbados and T&T.
“From the first ball the people were really into the CT20. Throughout the tournament you could feel the vibes and it was clear there is still that passion among West Indians,” he noted.
“In the first stage in Barbados the fans came out to show their support and in Trinidad it went to another level, with close to 50 000 spectators watching the spectacle.
At the WICB we aim to build on this as we try to ensure that cricket in the Caribbean remains the game of the people.”
With their win, Guyana qualified for the Airtel Champions League in South Africa this September which sees the top teams from the major cricketing nations participating.