Trinidad to host CPL semi-finals, final
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago have won the right to host the semi-final and the final of the 2015 Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 competition, organisers announced on Monday.
CPL chief executive officer Damien O’Donohoe also announced that the twin-island republic has secured the rights ahead of competing venues United States and Dubai.
T&T, home to the Red Steel franchise, will host seven matches, including the CPL final dubbed “Super Bowl of the Caribbean”.
“We actually had bids from outside of the Caribbean to host the finals but Gerry (T&T Minister of Tourism Gerald Hadeed) was insistent that we brought it back here to Trinidad and Tobago,” said O’Donohoe during a press conference at the Ministry of Tourism.
“It was actually two countries (that bid to host the semi-finals and final). One was going to be the United States and the next one was going to be in Dubai.”
O’Donohoe told reporters that taking the competition into the US market remains a goal of CPL, which officials say has been growing in popularity after two seasons.
“We were in discussions to take some games over there…that is the future,” he explained.
“I have always said and it was always part of the plan to take the CPL into the US because we believe we have the best platform and we all know if you can make any traction in the US, the scale that they have changes things considerably.”
The announcement of the venue for CPL semi-finals and final follows last Thursday’s draft which saw Barbados Tridents retaining the bulk of the team which lifted last year’s title, while St Lucia Zouks have strengthened their squad significantly.
The third edition of the CPL will start slightly earlier this year, running from June 20 to July 26.
“We are going to have the top West Indies and international stars in Trinidad for two weeks, so we have to come up with initiatives to make sure they get into the schools, into the summer camps,” said O’Donohoe.
“The CPL final is the Super Bowl of the Caribbean and you are going to have the biggest stars from the world of cricket and the biggest entertainers, and big celebrity names.”
