Guyana Amazon Warriors Clinch Title in Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Final

The West Indies’ home-court advantage must be fully maximized.

Beyond the boundary and within the stands of the respective hosting venues, West Indies fans should also outnumber those of their opponents. This year’s CPL matches, particularly in Guyana, Trinidad, and to a somewhat lesser extent Barbados, would have provided templates on how to achieve that objective.

The CPL’s three-part formula for achieving outstanding sold-out attendances in first Trinidad and then Guyana this year, was simple and is easily replicated. Part I was to ensure nationwide match awareness; Part II was providing tickets at affordable prices and Part III was to also make sure that memorabilia such as team shirts and flags were readily available and easily accessible.

The 2024 World Cup will more than likely attract thousands of visitors from Australia, England, India, Pakistan, and South Africa. Canada and the USA also serve as home to millions of South Asian residents with origins from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Being as close as they will be to next year’s World Cup venues, the influx of spectators from those participating countries will also be massive.

As has happened before it would, therefore, not be at all inconceivable for the West Indies to find themselves playing against either England, Australia, India, or Pakistan in front of Caribbean stands filled with many more of the opponents than their own. For any such eventuality to be allowed to occur at any stage during next year’s World Cup would be a travesty.

The performances of regional players would also have given the West Indies selectors sufficient cause to rethink their choices for the best possible starting XI for the World Cup, barring unforeseen injury or unavailability.

If the World Cup was starting tomorrow and not next June, few would argue against a starting XI comprised of Brandon King, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell (captain), Shimron Hetmeyer, Fabian Allen, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph.

That starting 11 is almost certainly different from that which the selectors would have had in their minds before the start of the CPL. As the last major T20 tournament to be held regionally before next year’s ICC World Cup, their respective performances suggest they are the best players available for the West Indies.

The West Indies’ upcoming matches against England and Australia will also provide the selectors with further opportunities to decide upon the final composition of their 15-member squad. As previously suggested, it would be proactive of the West Indies selectors to pull together a group of 20 players, including the aforementioned 11, for training before England’s December visit.

The selectors and head coach Daren Sammy’s plans for the forthcoming England visit should, hopefully, become known within the next few weeks.

With that being said, the identity of the remaining four members is likely to be much more contentious. Again, based solely on this year’s CPL performances and taking into consideration other factors such as age, agility, and squad balance, Keacy Carty, Sherfayne Rutherford, Keemo Paul and Oshane Thomas might be the leading contenders for those spots.

From team selection, playing conditions, and ensuring spectator support, the 2023 CPL has unquestionably provided some extremely useful pointers for the 2024 World Cup.

About The Writer:

Guyana-born, Tony McWatt is the Publisher of both the WI Wickets and Wickets/monthly online cricket magazines that are respectively targeted toward Caribbean and Canadian readers. He is also the only son of the former Guyana and West Indies wicket-keeper batsman the late Clifford “Baby Boy” McWatt.