The 2022 Caribbean Premier League champions, Jamaica Tallawahs, will not be a part of the 2024 edition and will be replaced by a new franchise based out of Antigua and Barbuda, as per a report in ESPNcrinfo. Kris Persaud, who is the owner of the franchise, has sold it back to the CPL.
“The owners were left with no option but to sell the Tallawahs back to CPL as they could not find a way to operate the team sustainably,” a CPL spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo.
Meanwhile, there is no clarity on the name of the team replacing Jamaica Tallawahs next year. Also, this will be a comeback of sorts for a franchise based out of Antigua. In the first two seasons, a team by the name of Antigua Hawksbills featured, but could only manage to win three matches. Later, they were replaced by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2015.
As far as a Jamaica-based franchise is concerned, efforts are in place to bring it back soon to the tournament. “The CPL remains committed to having a team based in Jamaica, but this will be in 2025 at the earliest,” a spokesperson said. “In 2024, there will be six teams taking part in the CPL with franchises based in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.”
West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell, who led the team to their second title in 2022, said, “Jamaica is the biggest island in the Caribbean, a proud nation, a proud cricketing nation,” he said. “For those things to be happening is a little bit disappointing.”