Cricket Carnival, CPL excitement increases

Ahead of the scheduled Cricket Carnival (CC) events, and the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which is turning into a nail-biting event for cricket-loving fans, excitement levels have increased among Guyanese.

It was revealed that with Cricket Carnival set to commence on Friday, several persons in a media related interview expressed excitement and elation over the events which they noted, will benefit many locals.

“It is wonderful. Cricket is one of my games since growing up, we know about cricket, and we live for cricket. Concerning cricket coming to Guyana, in terms of the finals, I think it is a good thing for the country and a good thing for the people since foreigners will be coming in because money will be coming in to spend. We are working taxis, and people are selling things to eat, and I believe everyone will benefit,” Taxi driver, Udhi Singh explained.

Another driver, Ronald Blair said excitedly, “A lot of finance will be coming in…A lot of income will be coming in for the taxi drivers and all the other sectors in the country…It (sports) is a doing a great lot for unifying the nation as a whole.”

“I think it’s a great event for Guyana hosting the first international finals. So, I think the Guyanese people are going to be proud…it’s a great opportunity to bring everybody together because cricket is everybody’s sport. So, everybody will get a chance to interact and to explore Guyana in a sense,” Denish Singh noted.

“CPL is the real thing in Guyana because it brings everybody together…it’s going to do well for the economy because people are going to get sales, they’ll get a dollar. Tourists are going to bring in some money to spend,” Paul Seeram, an avid fan of cricket said.

“It’s a great something for all of us because the economy will boost. A lot of things will be okay. At least, our families will be well off…More money will come in, and more revenue. So, that’s how things will work out,” Michael Allison disclosed.

“Well, I think that it’s something nice, especially how it’s the first time coming to Guyana. You know, a lot of people in the country are excited. And, you know, I’m pretty much myself overwhelmed by the situation. Sadly, I don’t have any tickets to go to the finals but everyone, that got the opportunity got the tickets. Good luck to them. Hopefully, it will be shown on screen. So, I think it is something really good…And I hope everyone has a splendid time,” Ryan Anthony declared quite excitedly, about the impact of CPL events in Guyana.

It was pointed out that the inaugural cricket carnival is a collaborative effort between the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, along with Hits and Jams Entertainment, the creator of Carnival.

President Irfaan Ali made the announcement back in March, noting that not only will Guyana host the Hero CPL finals from 2022 to 2024, but that the festivities would coincide with a substantial carnival-style event to honour the occasion.

As such, Guyana will host seven group matches, three knockout matches, and the hero CPL final, which will be held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Friday, September 30.

Additionally, this upcoming cricket carnival will be from September 16 and conclude with a parade on October 2.