President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB), Azim Bassarath, says that the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is reaping the fruits of the hard work which has been accomplished over the recent past by the local administrators. He said while this is being done, the nursery which has bought forth the talent is being undernourished.
At the TTCB’s third quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Bassarath said the Red Steel team was justly rewarded for an impressive run in the competition, under the outstanding captaincy of Dwayne Bravo. He extended congratulations to the franchise for winning competition. The home team beat last year’s champions Barbados Tridents by 20 runs in front of a packed Queen’s Park Oval crowd on Sunday.
Bassarath said the CPL organisers completed a successful season as evidenced by the large crowds which the matches attracted across the Caribbean and especially at the Oval, which staged several matches including the marquee semi-finals and final. He acknowledged statements by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who attended the final and pledged continued support for the tournament next year.
The CPL, owned by Barbados-based merchant bank Verus International and with its main sponsors Irish telecommunication provider Digicel, and Hero Honda, headquartered in India, received over US$4 million (approx TT $26m) to stage the matches in T&T under the initiative by the ministries of Tourism; Sport; and Trade, Industry, Investment and Communication.
Bassarath called for assistance to local clubs and the communities which form the basis of the infrastructure which has cultivated and nourished the cadre of cricketers who have established themselves among the best in the world in the shortest form of the game. He made special reference to a recent budget proposal for the 2015-2016 local cricket season which has been approved by the TTCB executive and submitted to the Ministry of Sport and the Sport Company of T&T.
The comprehensive programme which involves development in all aspects of the game from the primary school level to the senior national team, and includes the women’s federation and Tobago, is estimated to cost $31 million.
“The cricket board needs these resources to maintain their ascendancy in identifying and nurturing the talent that abounds in the country which allows for the T&T cricket brand to command the international limelight and provide these abundant opportunities for our cricketers,” said Bassarath. He said that the provision of the funds will guarantee the continuation of the successful programmes executed by the cricket organisation over the past years which culminated in last Sunday’s triumph.
Bassarath said $9 million of the $31 million requested will go directly back to the board’s 192 cricket clubs and their respective communities, for support, training and incentives to raise overall standards and improve their level of play. The cricket chief also outlined plans for the continued upgrade of the NCC assets in Balmain, completely owned by the TTCB, for which $3 million is being budgeted to rehabilitate the outfield; and $2 million for a modern digital scoreboard.
Bassarath said he has no objection to government’s US million dollar incentive to the CPL in their sports tourism thrust, but called for unqualified equity in the allocation of state funds. He said while the CPL demands are being addressed, the request of the national sports organisation which religiously execute their mandate despite the overwhelming challenges, has to be entertained in the context of national development and youth empowerment.
“If there are no cricketers, who we develop and cultivate day in and day out, there will be no finished product to sell to the CPL, so it’s just common sense to maintain the factory which churns out the world class players before they are packaged and marketed to the highest bidders,” said Bassarath.