Jaguars dethroned as Four-Day champs; CWI extends suspension of season

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday confirmed that Barbados Pride have been declared winners of the 2020 West Indies Four-Day Championship, following a Board of Directors teleconference held this afternoon.

Acting upon the advice of the CWI Medical Advisory Committee, a decision was made to cancel the last two rounds of matches in the first-class season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It means Guyana Jaguars, who have been the lone winners since the franchise-based tournament began in 2014, have been dethroned.

With Barbados Pride top of the points table after the eighth round, the Board unanimously agreed to award the Headley/Weekes Trophy to Barbados (Trophy is named in honour of West Indies pioneers and icons George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes).

Final Points Table:

• Barbados Pride                                  134.8 points
• Trinidad & Tobago Red Force          94.6 points
• Guyana Jaguars                                  91.8 points
• Jamaica Scorpions                             91.8 points
• Windward Islands Volcanoes           78 points
• Leeward Islands Hurricanes            52.8 points

The Tournaments and Camps immediately affected are:

• Colonial Medical Insurance Women’s Super50 Cup – postponed to later this year.
• Regional Under-19s Women’s T20 Championship – postponed to later this year.
• Regional Under-15s Boys Championship – cancelled for 2020.
• West Indies Under-15s Tour to England in the summer – cancelled for 2020.

West Indies High-Performance and International preparation training camps – cancelled until at least May 31, 2020.

Following the meeting Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI confirmed: “All around the sporting world we are faced with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cricket, cricketers and all our stakeholders involved in the game have been affected at various levels and we must continue to work to together and act responsibly in containing the spread of the virus.

“Ten days ago, we suspended our tournaments and camps for 30 days and now we have extended that suspension until the end of May as well as reluctantly cancelled some tournaments and tours in their entirety.  We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and make further decisions and announcements in due course.”

Grave added that the health and safety of everyone concerned was paramount and noted that CWI has put all systems in place to make sure its staff was observing the necessary protocols as outlined by the CWI Medical Advisory Committee and the World Health Organisation.

CWI has also reinforced the importance for all Territorial Boards and Local Cricket Associations to follow the advice of their respective Ministries of Health. (CWI)