ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) is gearing up for a ground-breaking regional T20 championship in 2025, which will be pivotal in selecting the region’s representatives for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow revealed that preliminary discussions with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have already begun to organise this crucial competition next year. The championship will play a key role in determining which team will carry the West Indies flag at the Olympic Games.
“The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics is a thrilling opportunity, much like our participation in the Commonwealth Games a few years ago, where we sent one of our women’s teams to compete,” Dr Shallow noted. He recalled that Barbados emerged victorious in the Women’s tournament back then and went on to represent the region at the global event. “We anticipate a similar selection process for the Olympics, barring an extraordinary scenario where all teams could participate, which would be remarkable but unlikely,” he added.
Bridge that gap
Dr. Shallow emphasized that the CPL, as a franchise-driven league, does not allow its champions to represent the region at the Olympics. “This new domestic T20 championship will bridge that gap, likely enabling the winning team to represent the West Indies at the 2028 Olympics,” he explained.
To secure the future of this domestic tournament, Dr. Shallow has been engaging with CARICOM leaders to discuss funding. “We are in negotiations with CPL to sponsor the domestic T20 event starting next year. Miles Bascombe and his team have already identified a suitable window for the 2025 tournament. This competition will be crucial in determining which team, or teams, will represent CWI at the Olympics,” he stated.
Dr Shallow further clarified that while the CPL’s current franchise model is not suited for Olympic qualification, the upcoming domestic championship will adopt a commercial approach while being organized around regional teams rather than franchises. This structure will allow clear identification of the teams that could represent the West Indies on the Olympic stage.