New schedule for Twenty20

The popular regional Twenty20 cricket series will now be played in January next year.

The tournament was played in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago in July this year and was won by Guyana.

Guyana earned a spot to play in the recent Airtel Champions League in South Africa.

Director of West Indies Cricket Board Baldath Mahabir said, “We were informed by the officials of the Champions League that the regional tournament was played too late in the season. They needed to know who would represent the West Indies at the tournament earlier and this was the reason for brining the tournament forward to January, to give them proper notice of our representatives.”

He said weather conditions are expected to be better in January and this was also a plus.

“The rain affected the tournament this year because we were playing at the tail end of the cricket season in Trinidad,” he added.

Mahabir also revealed that there will also be a Calypso Cup tournament immediately following the regional Twenty20 series.

He said the four top teams from the Regional Twenty20 cricket series will be chosen to play in the Calypso Cup and they will be joined by four teams from overseas.

At the end of this tournament, the regional First Class series will be played, so that players can focus solely on that type of cricket, he said.