Team Operations Manager of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Mr. Omar Khan recently met with the Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, Permanent Secretary, Alfred King and Legal Officer, Kelly-Ann Hercules-Payne to sign the Stadium Agreement for the 2016 edition of the Caribbean Premier League.
This is the fourth year the Guyana National Stadium will be hosting the CPL. The stadium will feature four big matches on July, 7th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs), July 9th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, July 10th Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders and July 12th (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Lucia Zouks).
These four matches will no doubt attract thousands of Guyanese to the National Stadium. Guyana is regarded as one of the countries in the Caribbean with the largest cricket fan base.
Following the recently held WICB Tri-Nations Series, the management of the Stadium is working along with the CPL organizers to improve the state of the pitch. Already a number of international cricketers are in Guyana preparing for the upcoming competition. The inclement weather has not deterred training as the Stadium has the best drainage system in the Caribbean.
While at the Ministry, Mr. Khan presented Minister Henry and PS King with Amazon Warriors T-Shirts.
The CPL 2016 Line-up
Proteas batsman Faf du Plessis will line up for the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots alongside West Indies duo Samuel Badree and batsman Lendl Simmons, Australian international Brad Hodge, retained players Evin Lewis and Tabraiz Shamsi as well as Canada’s Nikhil Dutta (ICC Americas) for the coming season.
Australia’s two-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner Shane Watson will join his former international team-mate Michael Hussey as well as West Indies World T20 captain Darren Sammy at the Zouks. They will team up alongside the likes of Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher as well as South African paceman Morne Morkel and batsman David Miller.
The highly-decorated former ICC Cricketer of the Year Kumar Sangakkara, will return to the Jamaica Tallawahs after helping them seal the inaugural trophy in 2013 and he will join the electrifying Chris Gayle, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and local favorites Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton.
Talented duo Christopher Barnwell and Versammy Permaul will be aiming to provide the local backbone for New Zealand star top order batsman Martin Guptill for the Guyana Amazon Warriors as they bid to go one step further and seal the coveted CPL title which has eluded them on two occasions in 2013 and 2014. They will be joined by the hugely talented Dwayne Smith and Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir who has moved from the Patriots.
The recently re-named Trinbago Knight Riders will welcome back the number one ICC WT20 international bowler Sunil Narine and he will be joined by left arm spinner Sulieman Benn and Pakistan wicket-keeper Umar Akmal. Proteas batsman Hashim Amla and Dwayne Bravo, Kevon Cooper as well as former Black Caps captain and ‘marquee’ player Brendon McCullum who will be making his first appearance this summer at the biggest party in sport.
