BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Organisers of the World Masters Tournament have postponed the event out of respect for the passing of late Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson.
The event was scheduled to start this coming Saturday, but it will now commence on November 5.
“We are deeply grieved that Prime Minister David Thompson has died,” said Ian Bradshaw, chairman of the Cricket Legends of Barbados Inc., which organises the tournament. “He was an avid cricket fan, and a strong supporter of the Cricket Legends, and out of respect we have decided to postpone the tournament.”
Bradshaw noted that the late Prime Minister’s funeral is planned for November 3 at Kensington Oval, where the World Masters matches are to be staged, so it was not possible to continue with the tournament as scheduled.
Now in its second year, the tournament has attracted four of the World’s top cricketing nations – hosts West Indies, defending champions England, Sri Lanka, and India – to battle for the winner’s prize of US $50,000 and the coveted CLOBI Cup.
“Due to the magnitude and intense planning of this tournament, it takes a coordinated effort to postpone it, and we are ever thankful to our partners and sponsors in working with us in helping to effect the changes,” said former Barbados and West Indies opener Adrian Griffith, the project manager of CLOBI Cup.
“A number of players were scheduled to arrive in Barbados on [Tuesday], with others arriving on Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, a few of them have already arrived on the island, but we have been able to quickly reschedule the majority of flights.