THE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will stage its first regional Twenty/20 cricket tournament, scheduled to begin next month.

The disclosure was made by WICB president Dr Julian Hunte, ending speculation in regional circles after two successful seasons of the once lucrative but now defunct Stanford 20/20 tournament.

“The Board will soon make a major announcement on the arrangements for the broadcast of the Caribbean Twenty20 which will be held in July,” Hunte said while delivering the main address at the opening ceremony of the Sagicor West Indies Cricket High Performance Centre at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados on Sunday.

Twenty20 cricket, which had its genesis in 2003, has become a massive income generator for the sport, with all major cricket nations adding it to its domestic calendar.

The most lucrative of its kind then was established in the West Indies by Texan-born billionaire Antiguan, Sir Allen Stanford, who invested over US$100 million into the extravagant showpiece between 2006 and 2008.

But all those monies dried up in February 2009 when Stanford was charged with investment fraud by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

His assets are now frozen, while he remains in custody at a private detention facility in Texas since June 2009.

Hunte wasn’t prepared to let the cat out of the bag just yet, as he outlined a raft of development plans to resuscitate cricket in the region and return the West Indies to the top once more.

But there was enough indication from Hunte that the upcoming Caribbean 20/20 will generate huge earnings for its almost bare coffers, as the event is to be televised live worldwide.

“For the first time, our regional cricket will receive global coverage and I am certain that this will start a process of breaking down barriers to secure further sponsorships,” he said.

A Chat source, which wished to remain unnamed, confirmed the developments, adding that the tournament will be played in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago from July 22-31 this year.

Unlike the Stanford 20/20, the islands will not be separated with Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands and the Combined Campuses and Colleges participating.

Chat also learnt that Canada will take part, while the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) will be naming its 18-man squad for the tournament today.

Details of the prize money could not be ascertained, but it is not expected to be anywhere near the US$1 million Stanford offered two years ago to the winners.