– hints at World Premier League for the Caribbean
By Michelangelo Jacobus
Leaders of the various member countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) gathered in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago yesterday for the start of the CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference.
At the conference, President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali during his address to the gathering touted the rebranding of West Indies Cricket and revealed that his government has been working along with Cricket West Indies (CWI), the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to bring to life a ‘World Premier League’ and in so doing, look to ‘position the region on the global market’.
the attendees at the CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference.
In an impassioned address via a video call, President Ali who is a longstanding fan of the sport, told attendees that an entire rebranding of the region’s cricket is needed. “Cricket is not only played on the field in this region, it is played in the hearts of our people, it is played to encourage positive living and we have to look at the entire cricketing ecosystem if we are to address the issues of cricket in the region”.
“Cricket is linked directly to our economies, linked to our tourism products, and we have to honestly analyze whether we have to redefine our brand to incorporate all the factors that cricket is linked to in this region,” he said.
President Ali also noted that the symposium has given CARICOM an opportunity to discuss what the brand of the region’s cricket should be like and who should represent the brand among other facets.
Additionally, Ali also opined that the global system of cricket has conspired against West Indies cricket in their change over the years in rules and regulations.
“We were known for fearsome fast bowling, real fast bowling and then the systems were changed, the rules were changed, to deny us of this brand of our cricket, and we allowed the rules to change without much protest. We in this region bring excitement with our fast bowling, with our attacking stroke play, we don’t need to change this, we need to master this. We need to grow this, we need to expand this as our brand” Ali declared.
In taking a closer look at the make-up of the Caribbean culture and how it linked to cricket, Ali pointed out; “Then, beyond the boundary, there are important things that we have to look at. Our vibes, our culture, our entertainment, our food, our tourism, our markets, our merchandising, integrating other sports with cricket. Societal integration, positive living, community orientation, all of these are factors beyond the boundary that must be integrated into this cricket plan that we must develop”.
Looking ahead to a reinvigorated brand of the region’s cricket, Ali stated; “When you look at West Indies fans and the environment in the stands, you must not see tea drinking and lap clapping, you must see a different vibe, a different energy, a different style, a different party, a different mood. That is what is going to define a different position of the product that we are going to offer”.
In addressing ‘threats’ to the region’s cricket, Ali proposed a seemingly radical idea to deal with the emerging North American cricket market which has seen the birth of Major League T20 Cricket in the USA and the Global T20 in Canada.
“I believe that we need to examine whether we need to move West Indies cricket from the West Indies Cricket Board to the American Cricket Board. Because we have to work towards owning cricket in the Americas. So how do we develop a strategy where West Indies Cricket becomes the owner of cricket within the Americas? These are things we have to address.” Taking note of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as an opportunity for the region to advance its cricketing structure, Ali noted “we have to work and see how we can expand and build on this opportunity to lead us into the best form of franchise cricket. In Guyana we are working with CWI, CPL and ICC to launch a new product for the region that will position the region in the global market and that is the World Premier League”.
“The World Premier League we’re hoping can replace what used to be the Champions League. That league would have had the best sides coming together to play to recognize the best franchise team.”
“I believe that the entire ecosystem of cricket, we have to address the different aspects of the problems we face. These are things that are real and we have to look at if we need a common legislation across the various territories, to tackle the way cricket is governed” Ali ended.
He also had a visual presentation which was shown to the gathering, further detailing the ecosystem of Caribbean cricket along with solutions to the various issues affecting West Indies cricket.
The CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference, slated for two days, beginning from yesterday, aims to strategically advance all formats of the game – Test Matches, One Day Internationals, and T20s. It is being hosted at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.
