Gros Islet, St Lucia – President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Dr. Julian Hunte has praised the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s hosting of the preliminary round of the Caribbean Twenty20.
"The WICB must commend the TTCB for the simply outstanding job in hosting the preliminary matches," Dr. Hunte said.
"The planning, preparation and logistics were of the highest standard and they all lent to the successful hosting of the first portion of the tournament in CT20," Dr. Hunte added.
"While I was in Trinidad I met with Prime Minister, The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Minister of Sport, the Honourable Anil Roberts and I was keen to outline how impressed the WICB is with the TTCB and their management of the CT20 and overall with their management and administration of cricket in the twin island republic," Hunte explained.
"We must also place on record our thanks to the government of Trinidad and Tobago for stepping up and supporting the hosting the event in a major way," Dr. Hunte added.
The WICB President said that while some of the matches resulted in low scores and some undesirable batting displays the WICB was cognizant of the fact that the pitches did not benefit from full preparations owing to the rainy weather in Trinidad and Tobago leading up to the tournament.
"I also wish to congratulate the Queen’s Park Cricket Club for their role in hosting the matches and offer the commendations of the WICB in this regard," Dr. Hunte elaborated.
"Overall we can look back without doubt that the CT20 was very well organized and hosted in Trinidad and it sets the standard very high and we trust that the St Lucia leg will live up to the high expectations," Dr. Hunte said.
"The Trinidad leg concluded with a fitting triumph by Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday night last and it has certainly heightened interest in the tournament now that we have moved over to St Lucia to conclude the preliminary round and to contest the playoff and final," Dr. Hunte said.
For the first time in the history of West Indies cricket, a day’s play in domestic cricket (Saturday January 12th) was sold out in advance. Tickets were sold out from as early as Thursday while the opening night on Sunday January 6th was also sold out.
Overall, attendance to the Trinidad matches of the CT20 has been beyond WICB and TTCB projections with cricket fans turning out in huge numbers to support their favourite teams.