CPL TO BRING TOP LEVEL CRICKET TO THE USA

Cricket followers in the USA will have the chance to watch some of the greatest players in the world this summer in the HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the staging of Twenty20 (T20) fixtures in the forthcoming 2016 season.

Six fixtures are planned to take place in July, with full fixture and ticket information for the coming season to be announced in due course.

Commenting on the announcement, CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe said: “Today is a landmark day for the CPL and a massive boost for cricket followers across the USA ahead of the CPL Player Draft in Barbados on Thursday.

“This project has been in discussion for many months and we are grateful to the ICC for supporting this move which enables us to step up our planning and open up opportunities for the cricket-hungry American public.

“I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of Dave Cameron and our partners in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in this process. The participation of the ICC Americas team in the recent Nagico Super 50 has proven to be a hugely important step forward and we are committed to providing more opportunities for players and that experience will certainly count for those six ICC Americas players who will be selected in this year’s Draft.

“The CPL has already had a positive impact in the Caribbean and we are excited about bringing top quality cricket to the USA. We are committed to developing the next generation of cricketers and we believe that by exposing the best talent from across the Caribbean and the Americas region in the CPL, we can inspire a new generation of cricketers in the USA.”

ICC Head of Global Development, Tim Anderson, said: “In partnership with the US cricket community the ICC has recently established a strategic framework for the future development of cricket in the USA.

“The staging of high level international cricket is a key part of this strategy, therefore we see the approval of several CPL matches in the USA as a positive step forward for all cricket followers in the US.

“We are also delighted that a number of development activities will take place around the matches, ensuring that the expertise and experience of the CPL players, coaches and officials contributes to the exciting growth of the game in the USA.”

ICC Annual Conference 2015 To Take Place In Barbados

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that the ICC Annual Conference 2015 will take place in Bridgetown, Barbados from 22-26 June.

This will be the first time the ICC’s annual meetings have taken place in the West Indies and with delegates from over 50 ICC Members expected to attend it will be the largest ever gathering of cricket administrators in the Americas region.

ICC Chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan said: “We are delighted to be taking the ICC Annual Conference to the West Indies for the first time and I am sure both the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the island of Barbados will prove to be excellent hosts for these important meetings.”

The Conference will be hosted by the WICB with the support of the Barbados Cricket Association and Barbados Tourism Marketing Incorporated (BTMI).

WICB President Dave Cameron explained: “The award of this high profile event to our region demonstrates the significant role West Indies cricket continues to play in the global game. We look forward to welcoming our friends from around the cricket world and highlighting our passion for cricket’s past, present and future.”

CEO of the BTM William ‘Billy’ Griffth added: “It is a great honour that this event will be coming to our island – the home of some of cricket’s greatest ever players. We look forward to welcoming the delegates from around the work and introducing them to our impressive cricket heritage and the spirit of the West Indies region.”

Barbados will join a prestigious list of hosts of the Conference which in recent years has included Melbourne (Australia), London (England), Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore and Dubai.