CHIEF Executive Officer Jeff Miller says that the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise is open to creating a women’s team to take part in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), should the opportunity present itself next season.

The first-ever Women’s CPL was staged between August and September and featured three teams — Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Royals, and champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

However, with talk of a possible expansion of the league Miller sees an opportunity not only for it to grow the Tallawahs brand, but develop women’s cricket in Jamaica and the wider region as well — with the biggest names in international women’s cricket coming to Jamaica to participate.

However, he says that no official communication has been made by CPL’s organisers about an expansion.

“That’s a decision that will be made by the CPL officials, and we’re hoping that after the success of this year the other three territories that were not involved this year will have the opportunity to have the ladies’ tournament,” Miller told the Jamaica Observer.

“It will provide an opportunity for the females in Jamaica to expand their game, to uplift their game, and also to have an opportunity on the world stage.”

But Miller acknowledges that the Tallawahs cannot spend on marquee players quite like their rivals who are tied to franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He mentioned the recruitment strategy employed for the Men’s CPL, saying that the appeal of playing for a brand tied to Jamaica can be enough to sign players, especially having won the men’s title this year.

“We can’t offer players IPL-level contracts or IPL-level opportunities,” he said. “Our more prolific player in the past three to four years, Glenn Phillips, we lost him to Barbados because they have that [Rajasthan] Royals connection. We don’t have that luxury but we have the reputation of the Tallawahs that we have to build on the brand that we have. We use the Tallawahs brand to lure players and the atmosphere of playing for the Tallawahs, the notoriety of Jamaica being a global brand. No matter where you go, the name of Jamaica is recognised so we use that as our trump card.”

The Tallawahs have won three men’s CPL titles since the start of the tournament in 2013.