CPL looks to New York, Toronto
Wed, Jun 29, '16
The Caribbean Premier League, which begins its fourth season on June 29, has been praised for galvanising cricket in the West Indies, and for contributing to the region's victory in the World T20 in April this year. Some have suggested the CPL is the third most prestigious domestic T20 league in the world, after the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash. Over 300,000 fans attended matches last year, a 44% increase from 2014. As a sign of its future ambitions, the CPL this year takes the carnival to the United States for the first time - six matches will be played in Central Broward Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida.
But the CPL also faces significant challenges. Every season so far has made a loss. This year, three days before the tournament began, the hosts of the semi-finals and final were still unknown. In the longer term, the ECB's determination to reform and modernise domestic T20 cricket could create a problem for the CPL if the competitions clash.
Damien O'Donohoe, the league's chief executive, speaks about the challenges and the opportunities the CPL faces in a year in which it will go head to head with West Indies' home series against India.
