Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The Massy Group confirmed its designation as title sponsor for the inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) at a press conference in the Queen’s Park Oval today, as the regional T20 competition offered its first competition for women’s cricketers.
The 2022 Massy WCPL will feature three teams—the Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals, and Guyana Amazon Warriors—and a total of four games, which will all be played at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts. The tournament runs from 31 August to 4 September.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
In contrast, the Men’s CPL comprises six teams that will play a combined 34 games in the 2022 season between 30 August and 30 September.
CPL commercial director Jamie Stewart thanked the Massy Group for coming on board to provide the financial support necessary for a regional women’s T20 tournament.
“When we set out to create the Women’s CPL, it was important to find a partner that would help build the profile and stature of the game and players around the region,” said Stewart, via a press statement, “with the ultimate goal of making them household faces. In Massy, one of the region’s great companies, we feel the WCPL has the perfect partner.
“Massy Group, via their stories spanning the eastern Caribbean, touch more people each day than any other company in the region. We thank the Group and the Stores and Auto divisions for believing in the vision, and look forward to working with them to give the region’s female stars the support and exposure they deserve.”
Current West Indies captain Hayley Matthews will captain the Barbados Royals in the inaugural competition, while fellow Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor will lead the Trinbago Knight Riders and Guyana Amazon Warriors respectively.
Matthews and Dottin are both with the Barbados Women’s National Cricket Team at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games at present, while Taylor is a Jamaica native.
(Copyright Michael Bradley/ AFP via Getty / CWI Media)
At today’s press conference, a Trinidad and Tobago-born quartet of Anisa Mohammed, Caneisha Isaac, Reneice Boyce and Karishma Ramharack represented the three WCPL teams.
Mohammed, a West Indies veteran spinner and three-time Trinidad and Tobago women’s cricketer of the year, will line up with TKR this season along with Isaac. Ramharack, another West Indies spinner, will represent GAW while Boyce will serve as wicketkeeper/batter for the Royals.
Massy Motors senior vice-president Mark Rostant said his company, as well as Massy Stores and partner Shell Lubricants, decided to support the WCPL so as to play a role in regional cooperation and offering women athletes a “voice”.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
Rostant also pointed to Massy’s credentials on the topic of the “empowerment of women”.
“As one of the largest employers in the region, a significant percentage of our workforce is female,” said Rostant. “For some companies such as Massy Stores, which operates from 59 locations across the English-speaking Caribbean, the workforce is on average 70% female. That means that creating opportunities for women to grow and develop is integral to our business and inherent to our purpose.
“With sponsorship support, which we hope will continue to grow for years to come, we believe that the CPL will continue to develop this tournament to create opportunities for professional Caribbean female athletes to showcase their talents on the world stage.”
(via CWI Media)
Dottin’s commitment to the WCPL comes just days after she announced her departure from the West Indies Team, via Twitter.
“Cricket has always been a passion of mine—however, when the fire burns out, one has to take time to reassess their commitment,” said Dottin, in her announcement. “There have been many obstacles during my cricket career that I have had to overcome; however, the current climate and team environment has been non-conductive to my ability to thrive and reignite my passion.
“With much sadness but without regret, I realise that I am no longer able to adhere to team culture and team environment, as it has undermined my ability to perform excellently.”
Dottin was not at the Oval to broach questions on the topic and Mohammed, who said she had no such difficulties with the environment around the West Indies team, stressed that she was in no position to clarify her former teammate’s statement.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
One thing was for certain, though. Dottin will be missed.
“It is a big loss for west indies cricket,” said Mohammed. “She is there in all aspects of the game: in batting, with the bowl and we see in the field as well.
“The energy that Deandra brings is something we are going to miss in the West Indies Women’s Team. But we wish her all the best.”
Mohammed and the CPL itself will hope that, in this instance, the West Indies’ loss will be TKR’s gain.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
“I want to thank these incredible Caribbean sportswomen for rising to the challenge of the first ever Women’s CPL,” said Rostant. “I look forward to seeing you put your best foot forward for the world stage—and let’s create together a memorable, inaugural Massy Women’s CPL.”
|
Wired868 has provided readers with solid, independent journalism since 2012. If you appreciate our work, please contribute to our efforts. Support Independent Journalism |
Over the years that I spent researching and writing the biography of Sir Frank Worrell, I often referred to him—sharing Read more
Cricket West Indies (CWI) today confirmed their list of centrally contracted men’s and women’s players for the 2023-24 season, based Read more
So far, in not writing about cricket for eight columns straight (I am sticking to my story that they are Read more
Fast bowlers Jayden Seales, Obed McCoy and Odean Smith were awarded international retainer contracts for the first time, as Cricket Read more
Jamaica middle-order batsman Rovman Powell will serve as West Indies vice-captain in next month’s three-match T20 International series, as the Read more
West Indies Women’s head coach Courtney Walsh has been commenting publicly about the West Indies team’s performances in the recent Read more
