Source: Loop
CARICOM Chairman Dr Irfaan Ali says Guyana is working with the West Indies Cricket Board, CPL and the ICC, to develop a new cricket product for the region – the World Premier League.
He revealed this at the opening ceremony of the CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference which is being held under the theme, ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket’ in T&T from April 25 to 26.
The Guyanese President said this new franchise could help position the Caribbean region in the global market.
In his virtual presentation on the topic, President Ali said the entire cricketing ecosystem needs to be examined to address issues in the region, such as determining whether it is linked to the economy and as a tourism product.
He pointed out that cricket is no longer what it used to be, as now it is being heavily commercialised and moved towards a football model of franchising.
Ali noted cricket is a product and urged the conference to think about how they could showcase in the stands and stadiums, the sun, sand and sea.
He also questioned whether the stadiums are attractive enough to give that personalised experience that fans want.
In addition, Ali said the conference must also discuss the threat of the growing North American cricket that could attract a lot more fans and revenue, stating maybe West Indies should work towards owning cricket in the Americas.