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The cricketing landscape witnessed a surprising shift as the reigning champions, Jamaica Tallawahs, announced their absence from the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season. In an unexpected turn, the franchise was sold back to the CPL by its owner, Kris Persaud, a Guyanese businessman based in Florida. This decision, attributed to operational challenges faced by the owners, left the Tallawahs out of the upcoming season.
The void left by the Tallawahs will be filled by a new franchise from the picturesque Antigua and Barbuda. The identity of this budding team remains undisclosed, ushering in a new era for top-tier cricket in Antigua, reminiscent of the early seasons when the Antigua Hawksbills participated in the CPL.
Daryll Matthew, the Minister of Sports in the Antigua and Barbuda Senate, unveiled ambitious plans for the debut of the new franchise in 2024. “We can expect very easily and conservatively to generate approximately US$6 million per year by simply having a CPL franchise based in Antigua and Barbuda,” Matthew declared, emphasizing the economic benefits and excitement the team would bring to the twin-island nation.
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Back in Jamaica, disappointment reverberated as Rovman Powell, West Indies T20 captain and leader of the Tallawahs’ victorious 2022 campaign, expressed his dismay. Powell urged the West Indies Cricket Board and the Jamaican government to discuss the future of cricket on the island.
Despite the somber mood in Jamaica, CPL reassured fans that a Jamaica-based franchise would return, but not before 2025. In the interim, the 2024 CPL season will feature six teams, including the debutant from Antigua & Barbuda, alongside franchises from Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
“The CPL remains committed to having a team based in Jamaica, but this will be in 2025 at the earliest. In 2024, there will be six teams taking part in the CPL with franchises based in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.”
As cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the 2024 CPL season, the winds of change continue to shape the future of Caribbean cricket, bringing both challenges and opportunities for players and fans alike.
-IANS
