ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday urged top regional players to make themselves available for upcoming domestic tournaments, even as several of them prepared to turn out in Australia’s Big Bash League which runs alongside next month’s NAGICO Super50.
Chief executive Michael Muirhead said the Super50 – the region’s premier one-day tournament – had been scheduled during a period to allow for maximum participation for the Caribbean’s leading players, and said their presence would be a fillip especially for West Indian fans.
“There is an opportunity to have the best players compete for regional supremacy in the upcoming events,” Muirhead said.
“The Board has looked at its tournament schedule and has placed each tournament at a time that allows our international players to participate in other competitions overseas.
“We, however, value our competitions and we think the fans would want to see our best players compete against each other.”
The Super50 bowls off from January 7-24 in Trinidad and Tobago and St Kitts, and features eight teams spread across two groups doing battle in a preliminary phase before climaxing with semi-finals and a grand Final.
However, the Big Bash which started on Thursday, runs through to the New Year and is set to also wind up on January 24.
Several West Indies players will be campaigning in the Big Bash with the likes of marquee opener Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree and Lendl Simmons all signed to various franchises.
Players who fail to make themselves available for the Super50, will be ineligible for the Tri-Nations Series involving Australia and South Africa from June 6-26.
Muirhead said with the packed schedule ahead next year, all players would also have the opportunity to develop further.
“In the upcoming year, there are a number of tours in and out of the region and with that amount of cricket added, along with the phased roll out of the high performance program, the players will have a chance at better preparing themselves for producing at the highest level.”
Following the Super50, the Regional First Class Championship will resume with the remaining five rounds on February 11.
