AFTER weeks of speculation and hundreds of suggestions via social media, the much-anticipated Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise team names have been announced and their logos revealed.

“We are thrilled with the final team names and the logos; we believe they are reflective of the character and culture of each country and I’m sure each team will live up to their name,” said Damien O’Donohoe, CPL CEO. “Our fans had some very inspired suggestions which were taken into consideration, and definitely contributed to the creative process which resulted in these names.”

Antigua will go by the name Antigua Hawksbills, which speaks to the hawksbill turtle, the most common sea turtle in Antigua, and an endangered species. Animal heads are familiar and popular sports teams branding icons, and Antigua’s logo of the hawksbill’s head is colourful, dynamic and strong.

Barbados fans will be cheering for the Barbados Tridents whose gold and blue colours are front and centre on the logo which depicts a trident formed as a crown representing the notion of kings, and a desire to win and be dominant. It is also a reference to carnival costumes and Barbados’ independent spirit.

Guyana is probably best known for its pristine amazon rainforest, and so it is no surprise that team Guyana will go by the moniker Guyana Amazon Warriors. The team logo was created using the shapes within the national flag to create arrows and represent the dynamism of the team and its warrior spirit.

The strength, fearlessness and physical prowess of the Jamaica team is captured in its name, Jamaica Tallawahs. Tallawah is a Jamaican term for something or someone who is sturdy, strong and not to be underestimated. A crocodile is used in the logo because it is native to Jamaica, and plays an important part in the country’s history and folklore. It is also featured in the Jamaica coat of arms and many of the government’s official seals.

St Lucia is one of four islands in the Caribbean known for its zouk music, and so a fitting name for the Lucian team is the St Lucia Zouks. The logo is a colourful mixture of blues and yellows with a flame symbol that is derived from the national coat of arms, representing a desire to win. The two characters in the logo are based on a combination of a classic zouk dance pose, a cricketer hitting a six and a backwards dive catch, all depicting the team spirit that franchise players Darren Sammy and Herschelle Gibbs will surely bring to the CPL.

The sixth and final franchise team is the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, the name itself suggesting a force to be reckoned with if franchise player Dwayne Bravo has anything to do with it. The national flag and its dominant diagonal stripe are key recognisable symbols, so it made sense to combine them in a classic sporting icon, and link it to the idea of battle strength on the field of play.

The inaugural Caribbean Premier League gets underway on July 30 in Barbados when the Barbados Tridents take on the St Lucia Zouks.