BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Warner Park Cricket Stadium in St. Kitts is in the frame to be considered host for the Semi-Finals and Finals of the second edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2014.
The announcement came following a visit to the island by CPL’s Chief Operating Officer Pete Russell who told SKNVibes Sports that the Federation is almost certain to host games in the 2014 tournament.
“It is down to the government. In terms of the options available, it is real down to the appetite of the people on the island. We are very happy with the facilities here, so there is no question games can be played in St. Kitts. But, obviously, we have a number of stakeholders, so it is a case of trying to fit it in the schedule.”
Russell also highlighted the purpose of his visit.
“The purpose was to see what the island had to offer in cricket, so we visited the stadium and the new lights. We heard a lot of chatter about the lights across the region, so we came to see what they were like and to get a sense of what life is on the island.”
He was also questioned on the possibility of St. Kitts and Nevis hosting a CPL franchise.
“Not necessarily this year! I think that if opportunities arise in the future it will be considered. What has been great has been the enthusiasm shown in CPL, so we are hopeful that we can have those discussions.”
Russell however identified what possibilities lie ahead for St. Kitts and Nevis in 2014.
“We are looking at the Semis and the Finals that were played in Trinidad last year. So those are games that are not scheduled could be held here. That would be fantastic! This will bring a whole level of excitement to the island.
“What was truly amazing was the amount of people who travelled into Trinidad last year to watch the Finals, and the island was absolutely buzzing.”
He then expressed confidence in the Federation successfully hosting games as part of the 2014 CPL.
“From what we have seen, we have no doubt that the infrastructure to host...but there is a process that we have to go through and that is something we are going to look at to see whether it is possible.
“I want to extend my thanks to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and hoping they enjoyed CPL 2013 and hopefully will enjoy CPL 2014, especially if we get to bring games down here,” Russell added.
For the last four months the Ministry of Sports has been trying to make the Warner Park Cricket Stadium one of the best grounds in the Caribbean by equipping the venue with lights and a jumbo-tron, among other changes.
