Carib Beer pulls out
Citing uncertainty with the state of the economy, Carib Beer has told the West Indies Cricket Board that it is "unable to meet the projected cost of sponsorship" for the upcoming regional first class tournament. In a press release yesterday, the board confirmed rumours that had been circulating that it would have to fully fund the tournament, pointing out that in recent years it had already been covering more the 75% of the costs itself.This latest loss of sponsorship follows withdrawal of KFC as the major sponsor of the recent one day tournament held in Guyana, and the Stanford Group's announced review of its 20/20 programme.
Despite the lack of funding, the WICB intends to go ahead with its plans to expand the first class season with a return to the "home and away" format, which will see each side playing ten matches instead of six.
The "WICB four-day Regional Tournament" begins on January 9, with the Leeward Islands playing Jamaica in St Kitts, the Windward Islands against Guyana in Grenada, and Barbados hosting Trinidad & Tobago.