10 Limacol CPL outing another developmental phase (By Rajiv Bisnauth)
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ational Under-19 opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul was among six players selected by the Guyana Amazon Warriors as part of the local franchise’s preparatory camp, and according to the soft-spoken lefthander, the opportunity was just another developmental phase in his promising career. Young Chanderpaul plans to use the experience to improve his personal game. “To be among head coach Roger Harper and a number of top T20 stars was a great feeling. I learnt so much, so my personal game can also improve,” the talented Chanderpaul said. Chanderpaul, who represented Guyana in nine first-class games, joined talented Everest Cricket Club fast bowler Kevin Paul, fellow West Indies Under-19 opener Shimron Hetmyer, Demerara Cricket Club left-arm fast bowler Daniel Basdeo, Essequibo all-rounder Kemo Paul, and 16-year-old, West Coast Demerara batsman Akshaya Persaud. This year, each franchise team consists of a squad of 19 players, comprising two pre-selected players – one West Indies Franchise Player (WIFP) and one International Franchise Player (IFP), as well as four Under-19 players from each playing franchise. However, as an initiative geared toward the development of young cricketers, the management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors widened the pool of Under-19 players to six.
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he "Biggest Party in Sport" has been creating waves that go beyond entertaining cricket fans on match days, as host countries feel its stimulating effect on their economies, including Guyana. Research carried out by the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), University of the West Indies (UWI) found that the 2013 Limacol Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 (CPLT20) tournament generated a combined impact of US$105.6 million across the Region. Limacol CPL was launched last year to sell-out crowds, with over 250,000 spectators attending matches across Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and St Lucia. Global stars including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Ricky Ponting and Muttiah Muralitharan took part in the tournament, dubbed the “Biggest Party in Sport”, and where franchise team shareholders included Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler. The competition is estimated to have boosted gross domestic product (GDP) by as much as 0.7 per cent in some countries, a tremendous boost given the fact that some countries hosted just three days of cricket. “With the Region still feeling the effects of the global financial crisis, (Limacol) CPL has been a real shot in the arm for the Caribbean,” UWI’s Professor Densil Williams said. “The tournament could trigger an even bigger revival, because as it grows and the brand becomes more recognised, we anticipate that the impact on the economies will be much greater.” President Donald Ramotar in March highlighted the positive impact of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the tremendous benefits that Guyana would have derived from the hosting of four matches in the inaugural tournament last year. The head of state pointed out that the tournament is an excellent platform for the promotion of sport tourism, a concept his Government embraces. While pointing out that his Government is keen on building quality sport facilities across the country, it is also committed to exploring the economic benefits of sport, thus a major investment in the Limacol CPL in 2013. “Guyana invested US$175,000 and was to receive about US$915,000 worth of marketing exposure for the country – that’s the estimate from the experts – and about US$4 million worth in direct and indirect value through our hotels, our restaurants and the transportation system. As I said, this was according to the experts doing the economic impact study that was conducted by the Mona School of Business and Management of Jamaica,” President Ramotar explained. The President said his Administration will always invest in events such as the Limacol CPL, as marketing Guyana through sport is critical to the economic well-being of the country. “When you look at that one example [the Limacol CPL], you will see that if we can look at how we can broaden our revenue base so that we can do more for our people by providing more goods and services and here this gives you a clear example that sports tourism is an area that we can seriously look at in order to enhance our revenue base and diversify even further the economy of the country,” His Excellency pointed out. At a time when Caribbean nations have been keen to boost economic growth, the Limacol CPL provided a muchneeded stimulus. Twenty-six days of carnival-like entertainment, coupled with exciting cricket, generated a significant economic incentive to the host countries, given the huge dollar spend over a short period of time. The estimated total economic impact of Limacol CPL 2013 for each host country is as follows: Antigua, US$7.35 million; Barbados, US$9.1 million; Guyana, US$4 million; Jamaica, US$10.65 million; Trinidad, US$12.85 million, St Lucia US$7.3 million. An additional US$54 million was raised by spending across all six countries. In addition to providing a financial boost to the Region, the competition has also helped to put domestic West Indian cricket back on the map, with the tournament being televised across the globe, including in the US, India, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Hailed by supporters, players and administrators as an overwhelming success, the Limacol CPL is part of a bigger vision to develop the game of cricket in the Region.