THE ADVENT of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament has dealth a double-blow to local cricket, effectively depriving Trinidad and Tobago cricketers of the financial benefits of paticipating in the lucrative Champions League.
This was stated by Patrick Rampersad, an executive member of the T&T Cricket Board (T&TCB) who recently assumed the chairmanship of the National League, the administration of the two top tiers of local cricket.
Pulling no punches, Rampersad was speaking to a core group of Movement for Change activists, whose officers govern the T&T Cricket Board (T&TCB), at a meeting on Monday in Preysal.
The successful businessman who is also president of the Merry Boys Sports Club, defending Premier League cricket champions, said that with the coming of the CPL two years ago, the regional T20 tournament in which the winners automatically qualified for the Champions League was scrapped.
Instead the franchise-run CPL, with teams free to pick up to four international players, now determines who goes to the Champions League and all financial rewards will now accrue to the owners of the privately run tournament.
Rampersad, a founding member of the Movement for Change, said that T&T were winners of the regional T20 competition in 2009 and then scored a hat-trick of victories from 2011 to 2013 and represented the Caribbean in India and in one edition of the CL T20 staged in South Africa.
He said the T&TCB had pledged to share with their 194 affiliated clubs across the board, the income generated by the Champions League participation and transfer fees for leading players Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, who opted to play for their Indian franchises instead of T&T.
Rampersad reiterated that funds promised to prepare the team for participation in the CL T20, amounting to approximately TT $24 million have not materialised and this has placed a great strain on the limited resources of the T&TCB.
He said it was only through the prudent financial management of the T&TCB’s executive and treasurer Sukesh Maniam in tandem with the marketing skills of fellow executive member Baldath Mahabir’s committee to secure corporate sponsorship and support, that the national sports organisation has been able to keep its programmes ongoing, but just barely.
However despite the financial challenges, T&T, branded the Red Force, created a big global impact reaching the final in 2009 in their CL T20 debut and in ensuing years attracted a loyal fan base in India and across the world.
Rampersad said T&T’s performance on the world stage also provided a platform for many homegrown cricketers to make a name for themselves and secure lucrative contracts in T20 leagues around the world.
Among those who have made a household name for themselves are dynamic allrounder Dwayne Bravo, power-hitter Kieron Pollard, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, mystery spinner Sunil Narine, the world No 2 rated T20 bowler; Samuel Badree, rated No 1 by the ICC, utility player Lendl Simmons and Kevon Cooper.
Rampersad also took the opportunity to slam the decision to award the CPL more than US $4 million to stage seven matches in the 2015 season in T&T, money which he said could be better spent on developing the sport at a grassroot level.
“It is a double-whammy we have been slapped with by the CPL which is having a very negative effect on the game,†he said.
Rampersad recalled that president of the T&TCB, Azim Bassarath, had recently written new Minister of Sport Brent Sancho, as he did to his two predecessors, making a strong case for financial support for their 194 clubs, including Tobago and the women’s association.
“Charity begins at home and we have seen the significant impact cricket can have on individuals and their communities. As custodians of the game we have a responsibility to provide them with the opportunities to develop into the best they can be,†said Rampersad.
The experienced sports administrator said that any investment made by government in local cricket development is being repaid in terms that cannot be calculated and its role in nation-building, human resource development, cultivating national pride and promoting the country abroad must not be underestimated or taken for granted.
