BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Barbados's Prime Minister Mia Mottley has lauded the country's "high level of organisation" after Kensington Oval was awarded the final of this year's Twenty20 World Cup.
In a statement Friday, Mottley said the country had "firmly established itself as a cricketing mecca" while the storied Kensington Oval had cemented its place among the world's leading sporting venues.
The International Cricket Council announced Friday that Barbados could host the final of the June 1-29 showpiece, in addition to three Super Eight second-round games and five group stage matches.
"It is with a sense of pride and excitement that I join cricketing fans here and across the region in celebrating Barbados being selected to host the International Cricket Council 2024 Men's T20 World Cup Final," Mottley said.
"That Barbados will host this final as well as eight other games throughout the tournament — three of which are Super 8 (quarter-finals) games — is nothing short of a privilege and an honour.
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC) — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has touted the economic benefits to be derived from the hosting of this year's ICC Men's Twenty20 (T20) World Cup, with President Kishore Shallow saying the region stands to gain from in excess of US$300 million in activity generated by the showpiece.
Six Caribbean countries — Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago — will stage games in the June 1-29 tournament which is being co-hosted by United States.
"The ICC Men's T20 World Cup holds immense promise for the Caribbean, not just in terms of cricketing fervour but also as a catalyst for economic growth and regional development," Shallow said.
"This tournament is projected to yield over US$300 million in direct economic impact for the Caribbean.
DESPITE being disappointed by the Jamaican Government's lack of support over the years, Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Chief Executive Officer Pete Russell says he is grateful for other regional governments who acknowledge and support the significant economic value that he says the CPL brings.
The Caribbean's premier T20 tournament will have its 12th season later this year, with six teams being hosted in Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, and the returning Antigua and Barbuda.
However, there will be no Jamaican franchise for the first time since the tournament's inception in 2013 as former Tallawahs owner, Kris Persaud, now owner of the Antiguan franchise, sold the team back to the CPL after citing lack of support from the Jamaican Government. Matches have also not been held in Jamaica since 2019.
Russell told the Jamaica Observer that the CPL sees the involvement of other governments as significant, and also believes their relationships are mutually beneficial.
The pinnacle ICC men’s T20 event will see a record 20 teams divided into four groups competing across 55 games for the right to be crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Champions 2024, including co-hosts the West Indies and the USA, together with the other qualifiers: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
The 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five, with the top two teams progressing to the Super Eights:
Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and the USA
Group B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland and Oman
Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea
The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) is tightening up its fiscal practices after almost $500,000 went missing from its accounts over a five-year period.
A TTCB official who wished to stay anonymous said on Thursday that the signing of blank cheques in case emergency funding is needed has been discontinued.
The decision to end the availability of blank cheques at the TTCB was made “a while ago,” the official said, as the board prepares for an independent external audit.
The audit comes after an alleged misappropriation of funds in the TTCB was revealed in mid-December, and later reported to the Fraud Squad.
