Time to hold CPL to account for T20 management; CPL: We followed ICC-approved rules

“[…] What has been the real economic benefit and value to the Caribbean people of the CPL? We have given so much yet receive so little.

“While all of this is happening, under the CPL, territorial rivalry has grown to dangerous proportions, with violence breaking out at matches and the most recent Providence debacle. This not only diminishes all credibility from the CPL but brings our beautiful game into disrepute…”

The following Letter to the Editor on the management of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket competition was submitted to Wired868 by Rajiv Hemant of San Fernando, Trinidad:

The recent flood light debacle at Providence, Guyana—which not only cost Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) the game but a place in the finals—has rightfully stirred emotions and outrage among cricketing fans across the Caribbean.

I would say this is rightfully so, because this debacle, for me, is the culmination of a lot things that are wrong with the current T20 set up, which CPL currently operates.

I recall when the WICB and later CWI managed the regional T20 tournament with regional territories competing for glory and national pride and immense talent bursting at the seams.

Then, in came the European-owned CPL, which negotiated the sole rights to the regional T20 competition and converted it into a franchise tournament, to be run for a profit.

The details of this deal are a major source of contention and the CPL needs to clear the air on whether Cricket West Indies (CWI) signed over the Caribbean T20 rights to them for 50 years and has so far only earned a paltry US$1 Million. Yes, you heard that right.

Something reeks of a sense of neo-colonialism when a European-based company can acquire the sole rights to a potentially valuable resource in the region, for chicken feed prices, while exploiting its full potential for maximum profits.

But you might say that the territories benefit from these games with money, tourism and economic growth and you will be forgiven for thinking so. Let’s delve into how CPL really operates.

Packages for games are sold to Caribbean countries who pay millions of US dollars per year, to host these games. Further, these territories are made to cover other ancillary costs such as ground fees, fire, police, transport and other major logistics.

So, when you see five games hosted locally or a country is granted eliminators and finals, know that it is millions of your tax dollars being utilized there.

CPL benefits from rights to ticket sales, very lucrative TV and betting rights, merchandising and who knows what other sources of revenue, from our regional T20 game.

On top of that, regional sponsors pay big money to have their names associated with the European-owned CPL brand.

But CPL would show you their annual economic impact report, on the Caribbean and argue that the region is benefiting. I have studied this and found that over 90% of the value claimed is in something called “Media Value”.

This accounts for TV rights sold globally in other lucrative markets, which CPL gets paid for. My question has always been, what has been the real economic benefit and value to the Caribbean people of the CPL?

We have given so much yet receive so little.

While all of this is happening, under the CPL, territorial rivalry has grown to dangerous proportions, with violence breaking out at matches and the most recent Providence debacle. This not only diminishes all credibility from the CPL but brings our beautiful game into disrepute.

Because of its secretive and potentially dubious deal, I have looked at CPL with a strong sense of skepticism. This has culminated in this recent debacle, which has tainted our lucrative T20 cricket and diminished it, to nothing more than bush cricket sold out to the highest bidder.

Dr Keith Rowley, our prime minister and chairman of the Caricom Sub-committee on Cricket, also recognized this problem and at the Caricom Cricket Conference, made a definitive call for CPL to be revisited.

Dr Rowley stated: “it is absolutely essential for West Indies Cricket to reopen the CPL contract and to look at the resources available to West Indies cricket. That lopsided contract must not stand.”

This was echoed and supported by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados as well as CWI President Mr Kishore Shallow.

I similarly echo this call and urge my Caribbean people to let this be a catalyst to vociferously call for change to CPL and the way our T20 cricket is managed in the Caribbean.

Official CPL statement on the floodlight debacle on 1 October 2024:

At 20:58 on Tuesday 1 October, during the Eliminator match between the Barbados Royals and the Trinbago Knight Riders, there was a loss of power to all three floodlight towers on the eastern side of the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, causing an interruption in play.

At the time of the interruption, 19.1 overs of the Knight Riders innings had been completed.

Within half an hour, two of the three towers were functioning. In the opinion of the on-field field umpires, Deighton Butler and Nigel Duguid, the lighting level made it unsafe for play to continue.

Nevertheless, given the importance of the game, both teams were offered the opportunity to continue playing in the reduced lighting. While the Barbados Royals were willing to continue, the Trinbago Knight Riders, as was their right, did not want to carry on playing in conditions which the umpires had decided were unsafe.

Initially, a cut-off time of 22:52 for the start of a minimum five over innings, which is required to constitute a game, was communicated to broadcast. This was subsequently revised to 23:01 to account for the time allowed for the interval between innings which had not been initially included.

Eventually, power was restored to the third floodlight tower at 22:51 and, after making an allowance for enough time for the lamps to achieve maximum brightness, the match officials made the decision to re-start the game at 23:01, ensuring that a result could be achieved on the field of play.

The ICC-approved DLS calculator—which is utilized at the innings break of every CPL game, and which is the universally accepted method used to determine revised targets in an interrupted game—was applied, and a target of 60 from the 5 overs was generated.

Reon King, CWI senior match referee who was in charge of the Playing Control Team on the night, said: “The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League playing conditions allow for one-hour extra time to be added to a game before overs are lost, and a failure of floodlights is treated in exactly the way as an interruption for rain.

“The priority for the match officials’ team is always for the safety of players, but they also work to try and see if the outcome of a game, one way or another, can be achieved on the field of play.

“This was the focus applied during the Eliminator match.”

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