.jpg)
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Guyana’s Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony has applauded organisers of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for targeting youth development as a major goal of the tournament. A rule of the tournament stipulates that every team participating in the July 29 to August 26 tournament must have a quota of young players from each country.
As part of the CPL contract, a stipend or retainer would be paid to a number of young players.
“I think that is a good thing so that they can focus on cricket and the development of skills … they get a stipend and basically they play cricket every day,” Minister Anthony said.
In order to receive the stipend, the players must engage in community services and school visits in their country to help train young cricketers.
The CPL games will be played at several venues in the Caribbean including four matches in Guyana.
The sport minister says the region stands to benefit from the CPL which will be played annually.
“Sports at the International level can be very expensive so we need to find a way of generating resources,” said Anthony.
“I think IPL has found that and I think that with CPL, this is going to help the region develop cricket, certainly the West Indies Board will benefit from the resources that come through CPL”.
The inaugural tournament replaces the Caribbean Twenty20 and builds on the Indian Premier League model of the game, where money is generated and some of that is pumped back into the game.
The tournament will be broadcast in Asia, Australia and all the other cricketing nations.
“You know when you have international matches in Guyana they are broadcast all around the world and CPL affords that model,” the Minister said.
“So we stand to benefit as a destination, as a country tremendously from the exposure we will be getting”.
The tournament will be played among six teams; Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. It has a group stage and a playoff stage.
As part of the CPL contract, a stipend or retainer would be paid to a number of young players.
“I think that is a good thing so that they can focus on cricket and the development of skills … they get a stipend and basically they play cricket every day,” Minister Anthony said.
In order to receive the stipend, the players must engage in community services and school visits in their country to help train young cricketers.
The CPL games will be played at several venues in the Caribbean including four matches in Guyana.
The sport minister says the region stands to benefit from the CPL which will be played annually.
“Sports at the International level can be very expensive so we need to find a way of generating resources,” said Anthony.
“I think IPL has found that and I think that with CPL, this is going to help the region develop cricket, certainly the West Indies Board will benefit from the resources that come through CPL”.
The inaugural tournament replaces the Caribbean Twenty20 and builds on the Indian Premier League model of the game, where money is generated and some of that is pumped back into the game.
The tournament will be broadcast in Asia, Australia and all the other cricketing nations.
“You know when you have international matches in Guyana they are broadcast all around the world and CPL affords that model,” the Minister said.
“So we stand to benefit as a destination, as a country tremendously from the exposure we will be getting”.
The tournament will be played among six teams; Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. It has a group stage and a playoff stage.
