West Indies Breakout League to unveil six new teams in T20 format

West Indies: An inaugural West Indies Breakout League is launched through a collaboration between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The league is designed in a T20 format, aiming to promote the cricketing talent and sporting presence in the Caribbean region. 

The tournament is scheduled to take place from April 25 to May 10, 2025, as the collaboration is also aimed at facilitating cricket culture and Cricket West Indies in the region. The league will consist of six teams and different teams have been made through some procedures. Around 17 matches will be held to determine the winner of the event. 

All matches of the league will be hosted at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. The teams that will participate in the league tournament will feature Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, Trinidad and Tobago Legions and Windward Islands Infernos. 

The teams will represent respective territorial boards, and these teams will also get a chance to maintain close affiliations with CPL franchises. The tournament will serve as the platform to focus on a development of the player as eligibility to participate in the league will be restricted to those athletes who are 30 years old or less than that. 

At the start of the tournament, athletes with limited professional experience and fewer than 40 list A T20 matches and fewer than ten T20 matches in the internationals. It will enhance player experience and provide platform to local athletes to grow and pave the path towards the national team of the West Indies. 

Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Director of Cricket also talked about the initiative and called it a progressive and crucial step in strengthening the T20 talent of the Caribbean region in the cricket. He added that the tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the next wave of players to get the time they need to push through to the next level. It will also be helpful in adding depth in the T20 talent pool.