US$5MILLION, that’s the figure insiders are giving as  the amount paid by St.Kitts to Host the Semi-finals and Finals of this year’s CPL .

Caribupdate News and Times Caribbean had both reported that CPL organizers had been pressuring Caribbean Governments to cough up huge sums of money to play hosts to the games. Grenada reportedly shelled out US$500,000 to host the Official opening and some first round match-ups. Inititial reports suggested that St.Kitts shelled out US$2.5 million to secure the semifinals and finals. However insiders have revealed that the figure maybe closer to US$5MILLION or over EC$13 million.  This is a massive amount for Caribbean standards especially in the struggling economies of the region.

The announcement of St.Kitts as hosts for the finals caught everyone by surprise as its Warner Park Stadium is the smallest venue in the region with a 8,000 seat capacity. The decision by CPL Organizers to host the semi-finals and finals in St.Kitts had many scratching their heads. However with an alleged US$5MILLION bid to host Semi-Finals and Finals by St.Kitts it was not as strange a decision as most would think.

In announcing St.Kitts as hosts Pete Russell, Chief Operations Officer of Caribbean Premier League said, “We cannot wait to bring the big-hitting excitement of the CPL to Warner Park. By awarding these prestigious matches to St. Kitts and Nevis we are demonstrating that the whole of the Caribbean can celebrate and enjoy the successes of this global tournament.”

But many are questioning the wisdom in spending such huge amounts to host CPL Games. The Grenada government has been heavily criticized for their half million US dollar investment. But observers in St.Kitts have said that the issue has been very quiet as the government has been mum on the amounts spent in order to secure the bid to host the CPL Games.

Reports suggests that while St.Kitts coughed up millions to host games other countries like Antigua and St.Lucia balked at the idea of spending large sums of money to host games despite both having franchises. St.Kitts does not have a franchise or even a player in the CPL.

One local business woman in St.Kitts had this to say about the huge sums that have been allegedly committed to host CPL games “The question we will have to all,ask ourselves is  can our Country with all its financial difficulties really afford to pay US$5million?  Don’t our schools and hospital come before CPL? What will we really benefit from CPL?
If it is only the final CPL match that will be played under lights why have we spent millions on putting down Lights at this time in the cricket stadium?
Could that US$5 million help in reducing VAT on medicine and food?”

The decision by the St.Kitts government to cough up millions to host the Semi-Finals and Finals may have had little to do with economics and more to do with political survival. The Dr. Denzil Douglas led government has been operating for the last 16 months with a Motion of Confidence on the table with the Opposition commanding the support of the majority of Elected parliamentarians.

With an elections looming the government in Basseterre will be looking to the CPL event to give voters a big show in an effort  to boast their waning popularity and increase their chances at the polls.

Recent polls by Don Anderson have indicated that the Opposition Team UNITY alliance, which is a partnership between three political parties in the Twin Island Federation and it’s Leader Dr. Timothy Harris ,  enjoys an over 70% favourability rating.

The first semi-final of the 2014 Caribbean Premier takes place on August 14, with the second on August 15 and the grand final on August 16, all at St Kitts’ Warner Park Cricket Stadium.

The opening ceremony for the CPL is slated for July 11 and on the same day the Guyana Amazon Warriors will battle the Antigua Hawksbills all in Grenada.

The following day, also in Grenada, the T&T Red Steel will open their account when they come up against the Barbados Tridents. The second match on that day will see the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs against the St. Lucia Zouks. This would then mark the end of the Grenada leg of the series and the teams will then host matches in their respective countries as well as travelling to their opponents’ venues.

Red Steel will play their second match of the tournament on July 17 against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. They then hit the road three days later as they face off with the Antigua Hawksbills at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

After this, the action switches to Trinidad where the Red Steel play their first home game against Amazon Warriors on July 24. Two days later Red Steel battles Jamaica Tallawahs, also at the Queen’s Park Oval. And the following day the St. Lucia Zouks come calling at the Oval.

On August 2, the Red Steel hits the road again when they make the trip to St. Lucia to battle the Zouks at Beausejour.

Five days later, Dwayne Bravo’s squad comes up against Tridents in St. Kitts and conclude their preliminary round play against the Antigua Hawksbills on August 9 also in St. Kitts. The first semi-final takes place on August 14, with the second on August 15 and the grand final on August 16, all in St. Kitts.

US$5MILLION, that’s the figure insiders are giving as  the amount paid by St.Kitts to Host the Semi-finals and Finals of this year’s CPL .

Caribupdate News and Times Caribbean had both reported that CPL organizers had been pressuring Caribbean Governments to cough up huge sums of money to play hosts to the games. Grenada reportedly shelled out US$500,000 to host the Official opening and some first round match-ups. Inititial reports suggested that St.Kitts shelled out US$2.5 million to secure the semifinals and finals. However insiders have revealed that the figure maybe closer to US$5MILLION or over EC$13 million.  This is a massive amount for Caribbean standards especially in the struggling economies of the region.

The announcement of St.Kitts as hosts for the finals caught everyone by surprise as its Warner Park Stadium is the smallest venue in the region with a 8,000 seat capacity. The decision by CPL Organizers to host the semi-finals and finals in St.Kitts had many scratching their heads. However with an alleged US$5MILLION bid to host Semi-Finals and Finals by St.Kitts it was not as strange a decision as most would think.

In announcing St.Kitts as hosts Pete Russell, Chief Operations Officer of Caribbean Premier League said, “We cannot wait to bring the big-hitting excitement of the CPL to Warner Park. By awarding these prestigious matches to St. Kitts and Nevis we are demonstrating that the whole of the Caribbean can celebrate and enjoy the successes of this global tournament.”

But many are questioning the wisdom in spending such huge amounts to host CPL Games. The Grenada government has been heavily criticized for their half million US dollar investment. But observers in St.Kitts have said that the issue has been very quiet as the government has been mum on the amounts spent in order to secure the bid to host the CPL Games.

Reports suggests that while St.Kitts coughed up millions to host games other countries like Antigua and St.Lucia balked at the idea of spending large sums of money to host games despite both having franchises. St.Kitts does not have a franchise or even a player in the CPL.

One local business woman in St.Kitts had this to say about the huge sums that have been allegedly committed to host CPL games “The question we will have to all,ask ourselves is  can our Country with all its financial difficulties really afford to pay US$5million?  Don’t our schools and hospital come before CPL? What will we really benefit from CPL?
If it is only the final CPL match that will be played under lights why have we spent millions on putting down Lights at this time in the cricket stadium?
Could that US$5 million help in reducing VAT on medicine and food?”

The decision by the St.Kitts government to cough up millions to host the Semi-Finals and Finals may have had little to do with economics and more to do with political survival. The Dr. Denzil Douglas led government has been operating for the last 16 months with a Motion of Confidence on the table with the Opposition commanding the support of the majority of Elected parliamentarians.

With an elections looming the government in Basseterre will be looking to the CPL event to give voters a big show in an effort  to boast their waning popularity and increase their chances at the polls.

Recent polls by Don Anderson have indicated that the Opposition Team UNITY alliance, which is a partnership between three political parties in the Twin Island Federation and it’s Leader Dr. Timothy Harris ,  enjoys an over 70% favourability rating.

The first semi-final of the 2014 Caribbean Premier takes place on August 14, with the second on August 15 and the grand final on August 16, all at St Kitts’ Warner Park Cricket Stadium.

The opening ceremony for the CPL is slated for July 11 and on the same day the Guyana Amazon Warriors will battle the Antigua Hawksbills all in Grenada.

The following day, also in Grenada, the T&T Red Steel will open their account when they come up against the Barbados Tridents. The second match on that day will see the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs against the St. Lucia Zouks. This would then mark the end of the Grenada leg of the series and the teams will then host matches in their respective countries as well as travelling to their opponents’ venues.

Red Steel will play their second match of the tournament on July 17 against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. They then hit the road three days later as they face off with the Antigua Hawksbills at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

After this, the action switches to Trinidad where the Red Steel play their first home game against Amazon Warriors on July 24. Two days later Red Steel battles Jamaica Tallawahs, also at the Queen’s Park Oval. And the following day the St. Lucia Zouks come calling at the Oval.

On August 2, the Red Steel hits the road again when they make the trip to St. Lucia to battle the Zouks at Beausejour.

Five days later, Dwayne Bravo’s squad comes up against Tridents in St. Kitts and conclude their preliminary round play against the Antigua Hawksbills on August 9 also in St. Kitts. The first semi-final takes place on August 14, with the second on August 15 and the grand final on August 16, all in St. Kitts.