CPL T20
new fans have been attracted to it. The Twenty20 game does not sit comfortably beside traditional cricket, but the latter has been sagging for years and the fastfood edition has rescued cricket’s image and boosted attendances beyond all expectations. The players and commentators were easily won over because of the huge money involved, but it is the fans that create the atmosphere and therein lies the dilemma for CPL chiefs. In its first year the semi-finals and final were played in cricket-mad Trinidad, but last year the St. Kitts Government bought the rights to stage the final games and the big venues and thousands of fans lost out. Also, the timing of many of the games had to be scheduled to accommodate UK television and this meant earlier starts in some matches and inevitably reduced attendances, as people have to work on weekdays, especially in these challenging economic times. This seriously affected the crowds and while the organizers will claim the CPL is a business and is largely controlled by revenue generation the competition
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suffered and did not go from strength to strength after an amazing inaugural year. Hopefully the promoters will take cognizance and make the tweaks necessary to get it back on track, as this is a format that is ideally suited to calypso cricket. However, fans want to share in the enjoyment and sponsors want to see stadiums filled to promote their product. Television has its place in all sport, but televising matches with half-empty stadiums is a bummer anywhere. The Kensington Oval, Sabina Park and Queen’s Park Oval are the biggest and most famous grounds in the Caribbean and the venues that attract the largest crowds. It is great to see CPL involve the smaller islands, but it comes at a cost to the integrity of the competition and may ultimately harm it. That doesn’t need to happen if the right cricket decisions are made. Sport and business have to live with each other and CPL will continue to prosper if both parties understand and appreciate each other’s position. After all, nobody wins if we kill the goose that lays the golden egg!
The Kensington Oval, Sabina Park and Queen’s Park Oval are the biggest and most famous grounds in the Caribbean and the venues that attract the largest crowds.