ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The cash-strapped Cricket West Indies (CWI) has admitted that this year’s Breakout T20 League will only take place if it attracts sponsorship.

CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow said, while last year’s inaugural Twenty20 tournament was a success, the regional body was not in a position financially to host the 2026 edition on its own.

Earlier this year, CWI said the tournament had been put on pause due to a congested cricket calendar, citing the need to prioritise preparations for both the ICC Under-19 and senior men’s T20 World Cups.

However, speaking during a recent CWI press conference, Shallow said there was a possibility that the Breakout League – a tournament designed to unearth cricketing talent in the region by catering to players under the age of 30 with limited professional experience – might be scrapped this year.

“Earlier in the year we were forced to reschedule it…and we thought of cancelling it altogether for this year, but we decided to explore that decision and explore the option of having it.

“Of course, we are open to exploring partnerships. If we find someone in the corporate space, whether in the region or internationally, who would be willing to meet us halfway to host that tournament, because we understand how critical it is to host the Breakout League to expose our young talent,” Shallow said.

“So we’re still exploring those opportunities. Hopefully we find a partner, but in the absence of that it will be difficult to have it this year. What we have also explored and discussed is that it may be a case of tactically hosting the Breakout League every other year or so.

“But we are really exploring the possibility, talking to key partners like governments to see how possible it is to host this Breakout League later this year, but if not, then next year,” Shallow added.