The new season of the much anticipated Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is set to hosted in four different nations as it is slated to be played from August 30 to September 30 with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots looking to defend the title they won in 2021. While Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and St Kitts & Nevis will host group matches, Guyana will stage seven group matches and the knockout matches.
However, for the past two seasons, the CPL was being staged in a single country amid Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, with Trinidad and Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis hosting the CPL 2020 and 2021 editions respectively. Meanwhile, Guyana has reached a three-year contract with CPL organisers to host the tournament finals until 2024.
In Saint Lucia, the matches will take place at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Beausejour, with Lorine Charles-St. Jules, CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority labelling the CPL’s return a "huge opportunity".
Expressing his pleasure over the announcement, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Lorine Charles-St. Jules said that the tournament’s return to the country is a “huge opportunity”. To note, Saint Lucia will host its games at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Beausejour.
“We are delighted to be one of the venues for CPL this year. The pandemic limited major sporting events across the world so to be able to welcome back a prestigious tournament such as this means a lot to us. This event is full of opportunities. It’s a chance to enjoy the brilliant sportsmanship that you see on the cricket field and it’s an opportunity to come together and enjoy our Saint Lucian hospitality,” Lorine Charles-St. Jules was quoted by The Cricketer.
In the same breath, minister of sports and community development in Trinidad and Tobago, Shamfa Cudjoe stressed on the fact that all safety precautions related to Covid-19 are necessary and will be strictly implemented.
“Live spectators are an essential element of sport, so fans are welcomed to return to the stands in support of their teams and favourite players. In T&T we continue to champion safe practices while having fun as all Covid-19 protocols would be adhered to during the games,” Cudjoe added.
