Caribbean Sports Network

THE Calypso Cup cricket scheduled to be played in January next year, has been cancelled by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Executive members of the WICB, Baldath Mahabir yesterday revealed that the tournament will “most likely” not take place with the Caribbean Cup Twenty20 tournament to take a new format.

The Calypso Cup would have featured the top four teams from the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament against the winners and runners-up from the Friends Provident Twenty20 tournament in England and possibly the winners of the Indian Premier League and KFC Big Bash in Australia.

“The Calypso Cup will most likely be cancelled but there still may be an international presence in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament,” said Mahabir.

The WICB executive is scheduled to meet this weekend in Antigua and Mahabir explained that there is a possibility that foreign teams will play in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament.

“Right now it seems that there will only be one Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean.

There may be some international teams in the tournament and it will be a transition before having an international tournament in the Caribbean,” Mahabir said.

He explained that there would be more discussions about the development of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament at the WICB executive meeting but, “no reason” was given why the Calypso Cup was cancelled.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath earlier this week expressed confidence that the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament will be played here.

He noted that the weather would be favourable here in January and cited the large crowds which attended the second stage of the tournament earlier in the year.

The former chairman of the South East Zone noted that the excellent organisation by the TTCB for the Caribbean Twenty20 and the South Africa series on short notice will enhance his organisation’s chances.