The much-anticipated schedule for the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament has been announced by CPL organizers, and as expected, matches will be played in six franchise countries – Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago – in the months of July and August.
Kicking off in Barbados on Tuesday, July 30, with an opening ceremony followed by a Barbados vs St. Lucia match, games will be played on various days throughout the four-week period. There will be a three-day break before the two semifinals, the final match and the closing ceremony which will take place in Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday, August 24. Sundays through the tournament will feature a doubleheader, with matches taking place at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
CPL organizers emphasized that in putting together the schedule, the goal was to make it as fair as possible for the franchise countries, but also ensure that there would be many exciting games between neighbouring and rival countries. In addition, the fixtures had to work logistically, in terms of elements such as travel for the teams and CPL staff and the transfer of TV equipment and crew from venue to venue. The result is a schedule that is workable and one where all teams will play three home games, three away games and one game in a neutral franchise country, for example Antigua vs Jamaica in Guyana.
The CPL team is pleased to get the fixtures out in just under three months in advance, giving both local fans and prospective tourists the chance to plan their trips to and around the Caribbean to witness what is expected to be the biggest and most exciting sporting event in the region.
The 2014 and 2015 CPL tournaments will take place from July 5 to August 10 and June 21 to July 26, respectively.
Next on the CPL agenda is the announcement of details for the players draft event, confirmation of which teams the franchise players will be assigned to, and many more exciting elements of the tournament.
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