ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – The islands of Antigua and Barbados have won the bid to host the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship next January. The West Indies Cricket Board announced yesterday that the two countries submitted superior bids to the other contender, Trinidad & Tobago.
“The Bid Review Committee (BRC) assessed, based on seven clearly outlined criteria and a rigidly applied grading scheme, that Barbados’ bid was the leading one, followed by Antigua and then Trinidad,” said a media release from the WICB.
The Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua will stage the first half of the CT20, with Barbados hosting the last round of preliminary matches, followed by the semi-finals, Consolation Final, and Grand Final.
The Bid Review Committee comprised Chairman and WICB director Gregory Shillingford, chairman of the marketing and business development committee, financial analyst Gregory Georges, a member of the finance committee, as well WICB Corporate Secretary Stephen Camacho, Commercial Manager Nelecia Yeates, and Events Manager Cindy McLean.
The WICB noted that the BRC considered several factors that enhanced the bids of the Barbadians and the Antiguans.
“The Barbados Cricket Association bid was also enhanced by a formal commitment from the Government of Barbados to assist the WICB in marketing the CT20 leading up to the tournament,” said the media release.
“The T&T Cricket Board bid included stipulations for sharing of the gate revenues between the WICB and the T&TCB, and also required the WICB pay to the T&TCB a substantial management fee for hosting the tournament.”
The media release added: “The bids of the BCA and Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association did not include revenue-sharing and management fee stipulations.
“Additionally, the Kensington Oval is being provided free of any rental costs, and the VRCG attracts a rental fee, which was more than 50 per cent less than the rental of the proposed venue in Trinidad – Queen’s Park Oval.”
The WICB also indicated that the Antigua and Barbados governments gave certain signed guarantees that strengthened the bids from the associations of the two nations.
“The bids of Antigua and Barbados were also accompanied by all the required signed government guarantees – tax guarantee, customs guarantee, and immigration guarantee – whereas the T&TCB’s bid included only a document indicating that the government was willing to sign the respective guarantees,” said the media release.
Barbados hosted the first stage of the CT20 this year, and the second stage was hosted in Trinidad.