The Guyana leg of CPL 2018 begins tomorrow at the Providence Stadium with the first of five home games for the local Guyana Amazon Warriors. Fans, both local and from overseas, will again savour the opportunities to experience and embrace all that has come to make up CPL.
Dubbed the biggest party in sport as cricket is played louder, CPL epitomises the positive evolution of world cricket, and further emphasises the vibrancy of the game which characterises the West Indian brand.
The natural enthusiasm through the vociferousness of fans in this part of the world, evident over the decades, has in many ways influenced the atmosphere in other places, notably England. The home of cricket has been known for its more subdued but overwhelming attendance, punctuated by a routine courteous appreciation of the art and showmanship of the game.
That has now changed, as fans have fully gotten into the game, bringing liveliness through infectious music and innovative celebrations. This change has been directly credited to T20 cricket, which, again, the West Indians would have branded with their own flare of effervescence through a fusion of colour, music and rapturous involvement.
As interest in cricket would have waned in the past due to various factors, T20, through the CPL, has not only catapulted that interest, but has transcended the traditional fan base to overwhelmingly capture women and children. Among the many successes of T20 cricket, the ability to continuously and increasingly bring out women and children to the games is one of the biggest achievements.
This is what was needed for the sport, especially here in the Caribbean, as CPL has now become a much-anticipated family event. The names and prowess of the plethora of stars of the various teams easily roll off the tongues of women and children as interest and expectations grow rapidly. One of the many factors driving this within the CPL is the many fan-based promotions by the various sponsors.
This has ensured that fans are not only directly involved in the process of creating the pulsating environment for which the tournament has become known, but allows them opportunities to be the recipients of something tangible aside from the abundance of paraphernalia. This is where CPL has to be commended for making fans a priority in the process of building and sustaining interest.
That interest cuts across societal divides, as is evident in the support for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The Providence Stadium, since the inception of the CPL, has become known as a place sanitised of partisanship as Guyanese rally around their stars. Of course, naturally, there would have been disappointment over the Warriors’ not yet claiming the title. However, that has never diminished the overwhelming support local fans have given the team, with Guyana probably having the highest fans’ turnout for the tournament!
Fans rally when the team seems to be on the ropes, and never hold back in their unbridled celebration of the joys of a Warriors’ victory. With a sea of colours from the waving flags of the Warriors and that of the country, accompanied by the blaring rhythmic music often drowned out by the collective deafening screams of fans, the positive influence of the cricket through the CPL is pellucid. The power of the game to effect the bypassing of differences and for rallying in unison for a common cause is never in doubt.
The Providence Stadium, which has proven its worth over the years, will again burst into life as cricket superstars from across the globe battle for supremacy. Guyana will again be in the international spotlight, as millions will join the global live broadcast from the East Bank corridor.
The benefits of such international exposure are priceless, as are those that redound to the local economy from the hosting of CPL games. This year, Guyana will, for the first time, host two play-off matches, making a total of seven — the highest here since the CPL was established. This is demonstrative of Guyana’s strength as a venue, and can only result in addition benefits for a country rife with potential.
This is what CPL brings to a nation; and with a consistent team in the Guyana Amazon Warriors, there are many winners, including cricket and country. With a growing fan base with every passing year, the Warriors are not just the players on the field, but every fan in the Providence Stadium and those watching the live broadcast. That has been the impact of the CPL as it continues to break barriers, showcasing cricketing skills and discovering new talent.
As Guyanese and tourists converge in large numbers at Providence, beginning this afternoon, the stadium becomes a hub not just for the many analyses by fans of what should or should not be done, or who should bat or bowl when, but for the making of yet another step in the process of forging togetherness.
Cricket has always been seen as a unifying force across the region. Here, at home, CPL and the exciting exploits of the Guyana Amazon Warriors have created a formidable platform for the furtherance of that process.
