CRICKET fans throughout the Caribbean will have the pleasure of listening to ball-by-ball coverage on radio on the region’s premier four-day tournament from January 8 to March 1, 2010.

The decision forms part of several new initiatives introduced by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) all aimed, among other things, at generating spectator interest.

“The whole reason is to ensure that our stakeholders, in this case spectators, are able to keep in touch with what’s happening,” said WICB director and Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president Paul Campbell.

“For too long it has been kept away from the spectators, so the marketing committee at the West Indies Cricket Board decided that if it is one thing that we must do this year is to ensure that it’s (heard) right across the Caribbean,” he added.

Fans will get the opportunity to follow their team of choice over the next two months as matches will be aired live on radio in all territories after the WICB brokered a deal with the Barbados-based Line and Length Inc, owners of the Line and Length Network.

“The next step is to ensure that we have media partners. So the West Indies Cricket Board engaged the Line and Length Network to produce regional cricket for radio, and then the territorial boards and their media partners are asked to ensure that it is carried,” the JCA boss said.

It’s not the first time the WICB is partnering with the Barbadian entity, having previously sub-contracted the network to broadcast the 2008 regional President’s Cup tournament to 16 stations throughout the region via Voice over IP.

In Jamaica’s case, both KLAS Sports Radio and Hitz 92 FM will deliver the exciting action with commentaries and analyses as defending champions Jamaica go for their third straight title.