TORONTO, Canada — Organisers of the first-ever Canadian Premiere League (CPL) are forging ahead with plans for the staging of the gala event, set to be bowl off at the Montreal Olympic Stadium on July 31, despite not receiving the requisite sanction from Cricket Canada.According to founder and Chief Executive Officer Guyanese Roy Singh, Cricket Canada has refused to budge despite being offered a substantial financial sum.

Several key West Indians are reportedly part of the hierarchy of the Canadian Premiere League with former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul said to be a director while Dwayne Bravo, Test captain Denesh Ramdin and Keiron Powell are listed as co-owners.

Singh disclosed recently that some 10 teams, namely The Snow Owls, The Hummingbirds, The Condors, The Predators, The Hornets, The Huskies, The Sentinels, The Bobcats, The Spartans and The Wolverines will vie for supremacy in the tournament with the final scheduled for Sunday, September 28.

Singh pointed out that each team will consist of 15 professional cricketers from around North America as well as global cricketing superstars from across the world. Each squad will be filled by invitation only to key players.

So far a number of top international cricketers will be included in each team, namely West Indians Bravo, Chris Gayle, Powell, Chanderpaul and Ramdin; Australia’s Shane Warne and India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

A total of 48 games will be played during the tournament, with all games scheduled to be televised internationally to a world-wide audience upwards of 300 million people.

Among the sponsors expected to be on board are Money Gram, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Campbell Soup, Labatts and Molson Canadian.

Singh conceptualised and created the Canadian Premiere League in the summer of 2012 after recognizing the opportunity to expand cricket in Canada through the excitement and exhilaration of a glamorous Twenty20 League.

The purpose of the league is to serve as a training ground for developing professional cricket players, coaches and personnel on and off the field with emphasis being placed on fundamental development, career advancement and community involvement.

“With an increasing number of Canadians born in countries where cricket is part of their life-blood, the CPLT20 is in a dynamic position to capture the hearts and imagination of hundreds of thousands of fans in this country,” Singh said.

CPL will own the ten teams for the first two years of the company’s existence before selling each team after the initial two years. The entity is also currently selling ownership stakes to interested investors.

Apart from Singh, the highly successful Toronto-based entrepreneur, director Chanderpaul and co-owners Bravo, Ramdin and Powell, former, Emma Everett is Managing Agent to Bravo, Ramdin and Powell while Sir Richie Richardson will serve as Head of Global Player Operations.

The historical partnership was inked last August following the conclusion of the 2014 Caribbean Premiere League, prompting Ramdin to state “I fully support the growth and development of international-calibre T20 cricket through the Canadian Premier League and the direction being taken by Roy Singh, the League’s founder and CEO.

“Roy has the vision, determination and drive to make this League truly successful and sustainable and I am thrilled to be coming onboard as part of such a pioneering venture for the North American market”.

Ramdin’s sentiments were also echoed by Bravo who pointed out that “the Canadian Premier League is already creating waves of excitement within the international cricketing community. What makes the League stand out is Roy Singh’s brilliance and initiative in carving out a niche market in this region and ensuring that the business model surrounding his League is based on longevity that centres around a real passion for growth and development of the game. I am looking forward to being part of this powerful venture”.

By Frederick Halley