Cricket West Indie CEO Johnny Grave has expressed delight with the start of this season’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament, amidst complications caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.
The West Indies became one of the first teams to return to international cricket last month, after embarking on a three-match tour of England. The entire series, which the West Indies lost 2-1, took place in a biosecure environment.
Likewise, the region has been among the first to return to hosting a major T20 franchise tournament when the CPL tipped off on Tuesday. The entire tournament will take place in Trinidad and Tobago, where another bio-secure environment has been established. Grave believes the return of the tournament to the region’s pitches will provide a boost to players and fans alike, despite this edition being played in an empty stadium.
“I think it’s great that we have cricket back on in the region. We are very proud of the fact that with England and Wales Cricket Board we were able to bring international cricket back to the world,” Grave said.
“It’s great for everyone in the region, it’s brilliant for our players. It’s great for cricket fans around the world that they’ve now got almost doubleheaders every single day for the next few weeks to enjoy,” he added.
“We haven’t had any regional cricket since the West Indies Championship finished in March. So, I think the West Indians involved in CPL alone will pick up collectively US$2m. It is really important to them as professional cricketers that they can earn some much-needed match fees from the tournament.” (Sportsmax)
