ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Regional cricket chief Julian Hunte has reiterated his board’s financial support for the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship and says every attempt will be made to ensure the tournament becomes a lucrative enterprise.
Speaking ahead of next Monday’s start of the second edition of the CT20, Hunte said the future commercial viability of the tournament was important, as it would allow players to increase their earnings.
“The last thing, as a Board, we want is for players to complete their playing careers and have to scrape around for resources to get by daily living,” Hunte said.
“This has happened in the past and we will do what we can, as best we can to eradicate this regrettable situation.
“It is why the investment in the Caribbean Twenty20 is important and necessary. We envision that the tournament will be able to turn in returns in the future but at this stage, purely as an investment in a platform for our players to showcase their wares it is a critical investment for the WICB.”
The CT20, which replaces the now defunct Stanford Twenty20, carries no major sponsor and has been funded largely by the West Indies Cricket Board to the tune of almost US$3 million for the second year running.
The Board is expected to make a loss but Hunte said the WICB would continue to invest in the tournament to ensure it remained attractive to fans and players.
“The board will not position itself and employ strategies which deny the fans the enjoyment from the sport and the players the financial gains from exploiting their skills,” Hunte pointed out.
“Fans want to see this version because they enjoy it as it is packaged in a manner which is convenient to their evolving needs.
“The players want to play it because it tests their skills in a different dimension and of course it brings them a level of financial security which has not been historically available.
“As a governing board our product is cricket and it is driven by cricketers and the onus is on us to invest in schemes and mechanisms to ensure that not only our products are strong but players are financially secure.”
This year’s tournament will run from January 10-23 in Antigua and Barbados and will see 10 teams, including overseas teams Canada and English Counties Somerset and Hampshire, doing battle.
