 Yeah, bowling off this Friday edition of the Sportsman's Zone with Cricket. The Caribbean Premier League, dubbed the biggest party in sport, is headed for the playoffs with only one place up for grabs, after inclement weather, stunted the early games in the competition. The action has been feared since, with memory affecting what has grown to be a must-see event across the Caribbean and indeed the world. The man with responsibilities for running this tournament, CPL CEO Pete Russell joins us via Zoom. Pete Russell, it's a pleasure to have you on the Sportsman's Zone. First of all, how are you doing? Yeah, good. I'm enjoying a day off, actually. So, yeah, nice to be with you. Just give us an overview of how things have gone in 2023 as far as the Republic Bank, CPL is concerned, and the massive women's CPL. I think it's been enormously successful up to now. It obviously started off a little shakily with the weather in St Lucia. But as soon as we got to St Kitt's, obviously everything dried up, and the Cricket I think has been exceptionally competitive. All teams couldn't, you know, on their day beat each other. And as I think you alluded to, the women's tournament I think was a great success as well. So, yeah, really happy with the way things have gone. Operationally, of course, it's always a challenge. Things don't go your way. But, you know, the team have come through all of that. And I think we're set for a great final week here in Guyana. Yeah, for sure. Since the massive women's CPL has concluded, let me start by getting there. Stefani Taylor at the end of the tournament, the former West Indies captain, suggesting that maybe we should look at having more teams in the women's CPL, at least one more team. How did that sentiment reach you? Yeah, I think we've always said we would grow the tournament over time, which means we'll add more teams to it. I think we have to be careful that we do that in a way that allows all teams to be competitive. And it's something we're discussing with CWI, actually, as we speak. Because, you know, for us, it's natural to try and go to four teams from 2024. But we've got to make sure that, obviously, the teams are well-balanced and there's the talent pool to complement four teams. So, you know, our idea is obviously to match the men and get to six teams for the women in the shortest possible time. But we'll just have to see how that goes. Yeah, how difficult would it be for your organisation to move from, let's say, three to four teams within a year if you were to become serious about making this happen for the next staging of the women's CPL? I'd say it's not really... it doesn't take a lot more operationally to add another team. You know, obviously the structure is there to cope with it. I think it is more about, you know, does it make sense in terms of the balance of the tournament to make sure that there's enough, obviously, young West Indian players who are at that level that they'll be able to compete with the players we already have. So that's really, I think, the consideration. You know, we're certainly very prepared to have another team. It is just about, you know, to make sure everyone's ready to accept that. So operationally it doesn't make a huge amount of difference. So, you know, hopefully the fourth team will be added sooner rather than later. Right, and Pete, personally, I welcomed the addition of the international players. I think it made a massive difference in the quality of the women's CPL, so much so that I saw a lot of fans coming out in their numbers for the earlier matches and then staying on for the men's matches. What did you think about the addition of the international players? Because when we're planning everything sounds nice, but when it's executed, then, of course, we have to do a post-analysis and come up with whether it worked or not. Yeah, I think the international players made a huge difference, as you say. And, you know, just speaking to the international players and also, obviously, the local players, it's pretty clear that the international players love being here and they also love sharing their knowledge. So I think that was very well received by the local players, which is really what the whole process is about. It's about improving West India in cricketers to make sure they go on and play well for West India. So on that level, I think it worked brilliantly. I think your points about the fact that fans came out early, I think we did do a good thing by linking the tickets, i.e., having a double head of the men and the women. I think that worked very well, especially, obviously, in Trinidad, where fans did come for the latter part of the women's game. One of the discussions we're having at the minute is whether, actually, we put on a women's game on its own for a 7 o'clock slot next year because we believe, actually, that the fans will come out and watch them without having the support of the men's game. So, you know, the women's game has really moved on very quickly, which is very pleasing for all of us. Yeah, I like that a lot. I love that idea of the 7 p.m. slot. We're talking about crowd support. Which country, based on your numbers, and you've been travelling our country to country looking on at the matches, which country would you say, based on what you've seen, has the biggest support so far? You're obviously wearing a shirt that points to me in one particular direction. No, don't be swayed by my shirt. I mean, Barbados, I think, the Sunday night in Barbados when Cornwall got his 100, I don't think I felt or heard a noise like it in the stadium. It was quite electric. Turn it out, just delivers every time. I mean, the fan support there is fantastic. And again, you know, having those two wonderful stadiums is a great contrast. And here in Guyana, I mean, you know, as soon as you arrive in the airport, you just get that cricket fever and it never fails to disappoint here. So, you know, we're going to have a great weekend. I mean, there's massive game, as you know, tomorrow night. You know, a game, first place against second. There's not much on the line, but actually, there's a lot on the line to see who comes out on top there. And, you know, we've still got everything to play for in terms of the third and fourth place. So the crowds here will be great. And as I said, I think we're in for a great finale. Really looking forward to that. Pete, you were appointed CPL CEO in 2021. What has been your personnel, your biggest achievement so far? Well, I think it's the women. You know, I think that was something that, you know, I really felt was missing. It was... We got criticised a lot for obviously not doing something with the women earlier. And I was determined to bring it in. I think it was, you know, you never quite know how these things go, but not only have the fans embraced it, but commercially all the franchises have embraced it. And the players have been exceptional. I think the quality of the women's cricket from last year to this year has been immense, which, again, is just testament to the effort and the work the players have put in. But also their dedication to make sure that, you know, this franchise league is successful, which is really harming to see. Yeah, Pete, the narrative coming from the organizing committee has been one of pride and satisfaction about the success of the CPL for the years. Could you speak specifically to its growth because we know that it has a global market, it has a global product. Can you say definitively that it has grown and maybe tangibly explain in probably some numbers the growth of the CPL over the years? Yeah, look, it's, you know, it's undisputed that as of last year, it was the second most watched league in the world, which is a phenomenal achievement when you think about, you know, where the games are played, because the majority of our games are played when the rest of the world is asleep. So it is extraordinary. But, you know, the way that people watch now in terms of the games, there's a lot of digital catch up. There's not all about the live action. You know, we were very proud of those numbers. And actually COVID, in a funny sort of way, did us a favor because obviously people were at home and were able to experience CPL for the first time. Again, I think people just don't understand how good West Indies cricket is. And, you know, I was talking to some of the international players today and they said it's amazing how hard the West Indies boys hit the ball, how hard they bowled and, you know, the effort that they put in. And it's heartening to hear that again. It doesn't necessarily reflect in what West Indies is doing, but I don't think it would be too long before you see them being successful in that arena as well. Great to hear you say that, Pete, a lot of West Indies fans and viewers watching will be very encouraged by those words. We have a lot more to talk about and we'll be back after the break. Yeah, we are talking with Pete Russell. He's CEO of the CPL, the Caribbean Premier League, sponsored by Republic Bank and getting ready for the playoffs. Just a couple of matches remaining now. Pete, you were talking when we went to break about the value and the excitement of West Indies cricket, even though it's not commensurate with the current world ranking of the West Indies team in T20 internationals. But can you talk briefly as well about the uniqueness of T20 cricket in the Caribbean as far as fan interaction is concerned and so on? Because I believe that that is part of the beauty of the CPL. Yeah, and I think that's really what we want to portray. And actually I talk a lot with Danny Morrison about it on commentaries to say, look, it is unique. It's an extraordinary atmosphere that you get and it's different in every single country. So we want to make sure that people understand that. So when they're sitting in their city rooms at home, whether it's in the Caribbean or around the world, they get that feeling that I want to go and watch that. I want to be there because that is an experience that will be unforgettable. And let me tell you, it is unforgettable. I've been doing this now for 11 years and it is still spine-tingling to go and watch some of these games. And as I said, that Sunday in Barbados in particular, when Rakim was going bonkers, was an exceptional experience. And I'm sure again, if Guyana gets to the final on next Sunday, then I think we'll have a similar experience and it will be the roof will come off problems. As I said, the West Indies currently ranked 7 in the world in T20 Cricket and you just expressed the view that it would be great to see the West Indies rising again as far as the top flight of T20 Cricket globally is concerned. I know you're not a coach or a technical cricket person, but from your standpoint, do you think it would take for the West Indies to get back into the top two, top three in the world? Well, I think you've got the right man Darren Sammy is a phenomenal operator. He's a man-motivator and he's, I think, exceptionally talented from a tactics point of view. So he's pretty new to the job, so I think he obviously needs a bit of time. But then again, invest in the youth. I mean, there's some extraordinary young talent that's coming through, and again, we're seeing it in CPR this year. So it's just making sure that they're all channeled in the right way. They get the opportunities to play in tournaments like this similar to the women who give some exposure to some of the international players they're playing against. So that fear factor goes a bit. But yeah, just back them, because as I said, there's absolutely no issue with the talent and the quality here. And I think you'll find post or during and post the World Cup, you know, facilities will improve for the players, and that's only going to be a good thing. Yeah, Pete, we spoke about the possible expansion of the women's CPL. What about the expansion of the men's CPL? Is there interest from any other territory outside of the six that we currently have becoming additions to the men's CPL tournament? Yeah, no, for sure. And you know, not a day goes by without me getting a call from someone that wants to own a team in CPR, but they see what it's like. They see the crowds and further and they see the support that the franchise gets it. So there's no lack of support. But again, you know, I'm a little bit of a mindset if it ain't broke, why fix it? So adding another team or two new teams again changes the dynamic. And is that a step too far? To be honest, I don't know. You won't know until you try it. But for now, we're very happy for the tournament. My view is that a lot of the other tournaments just go on for too long. You've got to keep people at the end of the tournament wanting a little bit more. And I think CPL does that at the minute. Can you say where some of this interest is coming from? I know, for example, that a lot of money has been spent at Arnaz, Valence and Vincent and the Grenadines hoping to get more international matches. And when I saw it, I thought to myself, I wonder if CPL is a part of this grand plan. Oh, look, it would be unfair of me to say exactly where it comes from. But yeah, look, there's probably three or four now Caribbean countries that would want to look at hosting CPL. And I think we do a very good job at hosting CPL. Again, I just think there's probably a timing issue there. Do I think at some point 100% we'll get there. But I'm not sure it's in the near term. Yeah. I think one of the disappointments certainly from a Jamaican standpoint is the fact that the CPL has not been to the land of wooden water since 2019. From your standpoint as CEO, how disappointed are you with that development? That's my, you know, you talk about what are your successes that is my biggest failure in the job that we're not playing cricket in Jamaica. It's a great sadness to me because, you know, you just have to look around the league. We have some of the most talented players on show come from Jamaica. And also when we played in Jamaica, of course, the fans were exceptional. So, you know, I'd love to be playing games back there. But, you know, we have a model that works for us. You know, we're very open about that model and it's very good and I think very instructive discussions with the government in Jamaica. And at the minute, it's not for them and that's fine. I mean, you know, the governments only have so much money to spend on sport and other recreational activities and if cricket or CPL is not one of those, then we have to respect that. Although, of course, that is hugely disappointing for us in the franchise. But, yeah, that's something that I'd love to put right Pete, one of the views coming from the support for the government's position of not supporting the Jamaica Talawas for home games at Sabina Park or even the Trelawan Stadium for that matter is the view that the owners of the Jamaica Talawas are businessmen. We had them live on our show last week or the week before discussing some of their discussions with the government and there was a view that businessmen who are trying to make money and the government is not obligated to get into any contractual arrangements with them offering them financial support for a project for the Talawas playing cricket in Jamaica. Could you comment on that and the fact that it is the same in other countries and other governments have supported their local franchises? Yeah, I'm not sure that them being businessmen is necessary. I think that's a bit of a red herring. I think what they're trying to do is, and look, Chris Posad, who's obviously the owner, has committed a huge amount of funds over the years. More than any other franchise without a shadow of doubt, so he's really looked to invest and that was always his ambition and as you know he owns a stadium in Miami as well, so it's not just about a business transaction for him, he really did want to grow the franchise in Jamaica. One of the elements of it is, one of the proposals that we put forward to the government was let's look at this as a public-private partnership. How can we help from a private perspective to encourage private organisations, corporations to work alongside the government to come up with the funds required to make sure that we can bring games back to Jamaica and there was a very full and frank discussion about that as to how that could look and work. We're trying our bit to make sure that the government is not totally on the hook as it shouldn't be. There has to be a lot of support obviously from the private sector as well. Hopefully and as I said we've explained the model very clearly to the government that it isn't just about them putting money in and not receiving anything back because of course hosting games does come with a huge impact because the investment that we put in effectively whatever the government gives we spend back and more besides. So it's certainly not a one-way street and that's really the way the model works and that's why you see other governments around the region put money in because they know they get a return on their investment. And Pete you're confirming then that the onus on having Talawa's play cricket in Jamaica is not solely on the onus of the Talawa's the CPL hierarchy would be a part of those discussions. 100% because we're all in this together it's CPL as a family and for me as I said my biggest failure is not having games in Jamaica it's been something that since the minute we didn't play there it's been a great regret. I'm hoping that we're going to be able to turn a corner soon but it does mean all partners and parties have to come together and come up with a solution that works for everyone. I think there is that solution but let's see how we get on for 2024. Yeah and Pete one of the things that I like about the CPL is when I'm there there are so many different brands available there are so many people giving our things ensuring that the fans feel very involved so something like the one hand ball catch of course those attending the matches can win a lot of money. I was reading an article today and it's up to 5,000 US dollars now if you're in the mound and you catch that ball with one hand. I said all that to ask you how has it been attracting sponsorship because from the outside looking on we see a lot of sponsors has it been as easy as it looks and that's the beauty but it probably looks too easy but it's been incredibly difficult and that's why you have to build a brand that is aspirational obviously for fans and as we mentioned before fans around the world but also for commercial partners they obviously want to be part of something which is going to rub off well on their brand and I think CPL does give them that it's well thought of around the region and I'm delighted I've got a team that run it incredibly well so it is always well run and sponsors feel safe in that environment that they can put their money and they know they're going to get again a return on the money that they put in but they've been fantastic and as you say we're able to run on these great initiatives the 10am games where we have all the kids coming in and all the face painting the free popcorn the free party atmosphere that we give those young kids has been again a huge success this year where kids are watching cricket for the first time both boys and girls but the mound is going to be mad next week where we've got $5,000 for that one single handicatch I might need to close the mound and just have myself standing oh you could put me I think I'm going to use my second phone and answer the question that we asked earlier and see if I can win the tickets for the match on Sunday Pete it's the end of the 19th over and we have not bold all our questions in time and I see a red card coming out from our producers I wonder from your standpoint though because well I don't like the fact that my producer is going to be giving me a red card and I gather some of the captains don't like the fact that the umpires are giving them red cards given everything that has happened in this inaugural well season of utilizing the red card for slow over rates would you any at all be open to removing the red card rule? No you know for me it was there for a reason which is to speed up the game we've now got games being played 20 minutes faster than they were last year so it's done its job and you know you have to look across the 26 games we've had three red cards now they've been over by about a minute, minute and a half so it's been pretty close but you know most captains in fact all captains apart from one notable one have accepted it as being good for the game it speeds them up a little bit you know and even last night they were a minute down on the 17th they were a bit caught up so captains are beginning to learn to work with it what we have done for the playoffs is we've extended it by five minutes given them five minutes extra and the player for a final will be a little bit more so they get a bit more leeway in the playoffs but I think as a project and as a new initiative it's done exactly what we wanted it to do yeah Pete Russell let's leave that there for today it's been a pleasure speaking with you and continue to do an amazing job the product looks magnificent wherever you watch it across the world it looks even better on the home of champions by the way but yeah it's been a great match and it's been wonderful and for me it's been especially wonderful watching the matches in Guyana I know you spoke about Barbados and on the night that Rakeem Cornwall scored that amazing sentry but it just looks as if there isn't even space to walk when the matches are being played at Providence and I can't wait to see what the playoffs look like thank you very much for joining us and all the very best thank you for joining the studio as well oh yeah thank you very much we love it as well no one more than Mariah Ramarack but I've never seen Mariah Ramarack so excited to leave the studio for me we're doing rehearsals because she wants to get to Guyana for the CFL playoffs hey I have never been to Guyana and I have spoken to our team here and I said you know I'm really interested in going into Guyana because I look at it on the TV I think I'd fit in perfectly there and it's a vibe and I'm going anywhere that there's a vibe Mariah you would fit in anywhere there is a vibe like the party last night let's take a break