The Jamaica Tallawahs will not play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2024; instead, an Antigua team will take their place. The Tallawahs are the CPL’s second-most successful team ever. They took home the prized title twice, in 2016 and 2022, having won the tournament’s first edition in 2013.
Rovman Powell, the current captain of the West Indies T20I team, will lead them in 2022. This year’s captain was the gifted rookie Brandon King. The eventual champions, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, defeated the three-time champions under his direction in Qualifier 2. The owner of Tallawahs was Kris Persaud, a Guyanese businessman with a Florida address.
He returned the franchise to the CPL.
“The owners could not find a sustainable way to operate the team, so they were forced to sell the Tallawahs back to the Caribbean Premier League,” a CPL representative told ESPNcricinfo.
With a franchise from their region set to compete in the CPL 2024 instead of the Tallawahs, Antiguan fans have much to celebrate. The franchise, with its headquarters in Antigua, is still unnamed. Notably, the Antigua Hawksbills were a squad that participated in the first two Caribbean Premier League seasons. In 2015, the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots replaced them after only three victories.
Daryll Matthew, the senator for Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of sports, stated earlier this week in an Antigua Observer article that he would be interested in hosting a Caribbean Premier League team from the island nation in 2024.
“We can expect very easily and conservatively to generate approximately US$6 million per year by simply having a CPL franchise based in Antigua and Barbuda,” Matthew explained.
But the Caribbean Premier League has already announced that it will be adding a Jamaican franchise. That won’t materialize until the wealthy league’s 2025 edition, though.
“The CPL is still planning to have a Jamaican squad, although the earliest possible team will be established in 2025. A spokesman announced that the CPL will have six clubs in 2024, with franchises located in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
I want to perform for my hometown audience since I’m Jamaica Tallawahs. Powell, Rovman
Powell, who is thirty years old, recently guided the West Indies to a T20I series victory over England, 3-2. The T20 World Cup in June of the following year will not feature any matches played at his home field of Sabina Park in Jamaica. Powell voiced his disappointment at having to forfeit his opportunity to perform for his local crowd. He asked the Jamaican government and the West Indies Cricket Board to meet and resolve the matter.
Since I’m from Jamaica, it goes without saying that I want to perform for my home audience, but I haven’t in a few years. Powell stated that a discussion about that needs to be had between the Jamaican government and the West Indies Cricket Board.
It is noteworthy that Jamaica has not hosted a CPL game since 2019. It is anticipated that the 2024 CPL, without the Jamaica Tallawahs, will start in August and last through September.
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