RUSSELL…we always argue that, ultimately, we seek to create economic benefits (Photo: Observer File)
The CPL boss calls for more support from Jamaica as the tournament gets under way
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) CEO Pete Russell has welcomed the return of one of the world’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournaments and underlined the need for continued sustainability as he called for greater support from some regional governments, such as Jamaica’s , as an island again. it loses its waiting possibilities.
St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago will host matches in the August 31 to September 30 tournament, which begins today with defending champions St Kitts and Nevis Patriots facing Jamaica Tallawahs at Warner Park in Basseterre.
Sabina Park hosted five Tallawahs matches in 2019 while the COVID-affected CPL installments in 2020 and 2021 were held behind closed doors in Trinidad and Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis, respectively. In 2018, Jamaica hosted just two of the Tallawahs’ 10 matches during the season.
Russell, who says he hopes to see Jamaica hosting games again in the near future, noted that the host nations for this year’s competition were chosen as a result of the positive economic value and support they provide to franchises at all levels. .
“I think governments always have tough decisions. They only have a certain amount of budget and where they can put it. I mean, I don’t understand it, but local franchises need support from local governments to be successful because if they don’t have that, it’s very difficult to run a franchise. We always argue that at the end of the day, we’re looking to create economic benefits. So there’s a profit and it’s not just a – ticket to travel, so to speak. Russell told him The Jamaica Observer.
“But we’ve had fantastic support from here in St Kitts, St Lucia, Trinidad and Guyana, so you know, to be honest, that’s why we’re playing in those four countries. Because we know that, in actually, it makes sense for us to do that and you get the support of the local government and that makes a huge difference on all kinds of levels, whether it’s logistical, whether it’s financial, or just supporting you from a marketing perspective. So, “Yes, it’s important and we always like to come to Jamaica, but it has to work economically for the team,” added Russell.
“We this year in St Kitts and St Lucia will probably spend roughly $1.2 million to $1.3 million just in terms of putting on the games. Now, if you’re not bringing it back as a local franchise, whether it’s ticket sales or sponsorship or other forms support, that’s your loss right there. So, you know, franchise cricket is a business, so they have to weigh what they can afford to spend and what they can’t, so that’s just the harsh reality of it. We we’ll be back playing in Jamaica at some stage, it’s just a case of, as I said, making sure the franchise can balance the books in a way that makes sense for them because they’ve invested a huge amount of money in the franchise,” Russell explained.
He highlighted team consistency and overall competitiveness as his organization’s main focus moving forward as they embark on their 10th campaign.
It’s incredibly challenging because, you know, if you look at the IPL, India has over a billion people and they have TV deals that you can only dream of in terms of numbers. We’re in the Caribbean, we’ve got seven million people across the region, you’re not going to get the TV revenue that all the other leagues have.
“So you have to make sure the league is sustainable and we always try to do that by making sure we have some reference to India, but it’s still very much a Caribbean tour. I think it’s just making sure it’s a tournament that the players want to play in, the fans want to watch and hopefully the sponsors want to invest and if we do those three things right one has to follow the other but I think it has a great future so we we just have to keep innovating and make sure we don’t overplay our hand,” Russell said.
Looking ahead to this year’s tournament, Russell was excited about the return of spectators inside the venue and expects close competition between the six franchises.
“I’m really excited to get going. We’re going to be treated to some fantastic cricket again. If you look at the teams they’re very evenly matched, some big players come into play as always, so it’s going to be a fantastic tournament.
“We’re delighted that the fans will be allowed to come back and watch the games. I think they’ll see probably the most competitive CPL we’ve ever seen. There’s no standout team right now; I mean, you can said [Trinbago] have some of the Galacticos, but actually, I think the others are very balanced. I think everyone is well selected and there are certainly no weak teams, so I think it will be very competitive,” Russell said.
Rovman Powell-led Tallawahs take on the Patriots at 6pm this afternoon before taking on the Amazon Warriors on Saturday at 9am in their first two assignments.
St Lucia Kings, Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals complete the list.
Colin Archibald (right) of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots is dismissed by Trinbago Knight Riders wicketkeeper Tim Seifert during the Hero Caribbean Premier League match 29 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on September 6, 2020.
RUSSELL… local franchises need the support of local governments to be successful (Photos: File Observer)
