Carib Scope

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  • OPINION: Save West Indies Cricket

    OPINION: Save West Indies Cricket

    For decades, West Indies cricket stood as a global powerhouse, a force that dominated international cricket for generations and produced some of the most legendary players the sport has ever seen. From the deadly fast-bowling attacks of the 1970s and 1980s that struck fear into every opposing batting lineup to the swashbuckling batsmen who redefined aggressive batting, the region’s cricket culture captured the imagination of fans across the world. It was more than just a team; it was a symbol of Caribbean pride, unity, and excellence that brought together 10 small island nations and territories under a single sporting banner.

    Today, however, that once-mighty cricketing empire is teetering on the brink of irrelevance. Recent years have seen a steady and alarming decline across every format of the game. The West Indies men’s team has failed to qualify for major ICC tournaments, missed out on knockout stages of global competitions, and dropped to the lower rungs of the official ICC rankings. Even in T20 cricket, where the region has traditionally produced some of the most exciting talent, results have become inconsistent, and the team struggles to compete with the top ranked sides of the world. Off the field, the problems run even deeper. Governance issues, financial instability, and disputes between regional cricket boards have created a fractured system that fails to nurture young talent. Many of the region’s best players leave early to pursue lucrative franchise contracts in T20 leagues around the world, pulling focus away from national team commitments and leaving the domestic structure starved of top-tier talent.

    This decline is not just a blow to cricket fans; it is a loss for Caribbean identity. For generations, cricket has been the glue that held the region together, a shared passion that transcended national borders and gave the Caribbean a global stage to showcase its talent and spirit. Allowing West Indies cricket to fade away would mean losing one of the most important cultural institutions that defines the region to the rest of the world.

    Fixing the crisis will not be easy. It requires bold, sweeping reform of governance structures to end infighting and create a unified, sustainable vision for the future. It demands increased investment in youth development programs, to identify and nurture the next generation of stars at the grassroots level. It also requires a new balance between franchise cricket and national team commitments that benefits both players and the regional game. Stakeholders from across the Caribbean, from cricket administrators to government leaders to passionate fans, must come together to prioritize the survival and revival of West Indies cricket. The legacy of past greatness is worth fighting for, and with the right action, West Indies cricket can once again take its place among the elite of the global sport.

  • Full Results Released for Antigua Carnival 2026

    Full Results Released for Antigua Carnival 2026

    One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated annual cultural celebrations, Antigua Carnival 2026 wrapped up its vibrant multi-day program with an official awards ceremony that crowned this year’s standout competitors, capping off weeks of parades, live music, and community celebration.

    Leading the pack of award winners was Sechuns The Band, which secured the festival’s most prestigious distinction: Band of the Year. The ensemble turned in a dominant performance across the signature two-day parade schedule, earning first place in the Carnival Tuesday Large Band Category and finishing as first runner-up in the Carnival Monday Large Band Category to seal its overall top ranking.

    Other leading bands turned in impressive showings to round out the overall standings. Insane Carnival notched a first-place win in the popular T-Shirt Mas competition and claimed the first runner-up spot for overall Band of the Year. Myst Carnival, which took home the top title for Carnival Monday Large Band, secured second place in the overall Band of the Year rankings.

    In the festival’s highly competitive music category, artist Ballo’s hit track “Bang E Line” claimed the 2026 Road March title, a honor awarded based on how frequently the song is played throughout the festival’s street parades. The popular soca track was played 101 times across carnival events, beating out the closest competition by a comfortable margin. Soca Villan and Island Prince’s collaboration “Gyal Sidung” finished as first runner-up with 89 total plays, while Dan Knowledge’s “Shake It Off” took third place with 74 plays.

    Awards were also distributed across the festival’s iconic J’ouvert segment, the early-morning street celebration that kicks off the carnival’s main events. Liberta Black Thing earned the honor of First Band on the Road, while Caution was named Largest Band on the Road. High Voltage claimed the title of First Jam Band on the Road, and Revo Band took home the distinction of Sweetest Jam Band. In the Best J’ouvert Troupe competition, ChattaBox Company Ltd. took top honors, followed by Flava FM One Caribbean in second and Brewmasters J’ouvert Troupe in third.

    In smaller band categories, RT Performers Cultural Entertainment earned the Carnival Tuesday Small Band title, with Bachannal Carnival placing second and WACC Mas third. For festival floats, the Central Board of Health claimed first place, the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries took first runner-up, and the Chinese Association finished as second runner-up.

  • APUA Keeps Fuel Variation Rate Unchanged for August

    APUA Keeps Fuel Variation Rate Unchanged for August

    Residential and commercial customers of Antigua’s primary energy provider, the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), will see no change to their electricity-related fuel charges when they receive their August bills. The Fuel Variation Rate (FVR), a pass-through surcharge tied to global fossil fuel costs for power generation, will remain fixed at EC$0.80 per kilowatt-hour, marking three straight months of stability for this variable component of customer energy bills.

    First implemented in June, the current EC$0.80/kWh rate marked a 14.3 percent increase from the EC$0.70/kWh that customers were charged during the month of May. Unlike APUA’s fixed base electricity tariff, which is set through regulatory processes and adjusted infrequently, the FVR functions as a dynamic, transparent mechanism that directly passes fluctuations in international fuel prices through to end consumers.

    This extended period of steady fuel surcharges comes amid relative stability in global energy commodity markets, offering predictable budgeting for households and businesses across Antigua that rely on APUA for grid-supplied electricity. Industry analysts note that sustained stability in the FVR typically signals little volatility in the global oil and fuel markets that underpin Antigua’s electricity generation sector, which is largely dependent on imported fossil fuels.

  • Broadcast partners confirmed for 2026 Republic BanK CPL.

    Broadcast partners confirmed for 2026 Republic BanK CPL.

    One of cricket’s most exciting T20 franchise tournaments, the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has locked in its full slate of official broadcast and digital partners, guaranteeing cricket supporters across every corner of the globe will have access to live coverage of the entire tournament. The announcement comes just days ahead of the opening match, which is scheduled to kick off on August 7 and run through September 20. This 2026 iteration marks a historic milestone for the league, as it expands from six to seven competing teams for the first time in its history.

    The expanded field will see long-time CPL franchises Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Kingsmen, Saint Lucia Kings, and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots joined by the defending 2025 champions, Trinbago Knight Riders. Over the course of the tournament, 39 total matches will be played, with the season culminating in another first for the league: the CPL’s championship final will be hosted on Barbadian soil for the first time.

    To meet growing global demand for CPL action, the league has assembled a multi-territory network of broadcast and streaming partners to deliver live coverage of every fixture. Regional broadcast rights have been allocated as follows: Fox Sports and YouTube will carry matches in Australia; E-Networks serves as the exclusive local broadcaster for Guyana; CricBuzz holds rights across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and Southeast Asia; JioStar will deliver linear television coverage across India, with YouTube and FanCode handling digital streaming for the wider Indian subcontinent; Sky New Zealand and YouTube will broadcast the tournament in New Zealand; Willow holds exclusive rights for North America; TapMad and YouTube will stream all matches for fans in Pakistan and Bangladesh; Rush Live & Louder provides pan-Caribbean linear coverage, while Winners TV serves Saint Lucia specifically and CNC3 is the local broadcaster for Trinidad & Tobago; TNT Sports holds exclusive broadcast rights for the United Kingdom; and for all other territories not listed, YouTube will carry free live coverage of every match.

    The new pan-Caribbean broadcast offering via Rush Live & Louder represents a major step forward for regional cricket access. Launched on July 1, 2026 as a joint venture between CPL and Rush Sports, it is the Caribbean’s first linear television channel dedicated exclusively to cricket. Beyond providing full live coverage of the 2026 CPL season, the channel will offer Caribbean fans year-round access to classic matches, match highlights, and original cricket-focused programming.

    This sprawling network of regional and global partners cements the Republic Bank CPL’s status as one of the most widely accessible T20 cricket leagues in the world, with coverage available across both traditional linear television and modern digital streaming platforms to suit every fan’s viewing preferences.

    CPL Chief Executive Officer Pete Russell expressed enthusiasm for the 2026 season and the new broadcast partnerships in an official statement accompanying the announcement. “We’re thrilled to confirm another outstanding lineup of broadcast partners who will bring the energy and entertainment of CPL cricket to fans in every corner of the world,” Russell said. “With the tournament expanding to seven teams and a landmark finals week in Barbados, 2026 is shaping up to be our biggest season yet, and we’re proud to deliver it to fans wherever they are.”

    The league remains focused on two core goals as it enters its expanded 2026 season: growing its global fanbase, and showcasing the world-class cricketing talent and unique culture of the Caribbean to international audiences. With the broadcast infrastructure now fully in place, fans in every region can follow the entire tournament from the opening delivery of the group stage through to the final ball of the historic championship final.

  • China slaat terug met sancties en strengere exportregels in handelsconflict met VS

    China slaat terug met sancties en strengere exportregels in handelsconflict met VS

    Tensions in the long-running trade and technology standoff between the world’s two largest economies have flared once again, after China unveiled a coordinated package of countermeasures on Wednesday in response to new punitive trade actions imposed by the United States. Beijing’s response includes tightened export controls on drones and related dual-use technologies bound for the US market, alongside formal sanctions on several US entities and companies.

    According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the new measures are a direct and proportionate response to a series of recent hostile trade moves from Washington. These include new restrictions targeting Chinese technology firms, updated stringent regulatory requirements issued by the US Federal Communications Commission, and the addition of dozens of Chinese companies to Washington’s economic blacklist over unsubstantiated allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang.

    At the core of China’s countermeasures is a sweeping overhaul of export licensing rules for drones, drone components, and dual-use technologies that have both civilian and military applications. While exports to the United States will still be permitted, all new shipments will now undergo much stricter case-by-case reviews before approval is granted. In addition, Chinese firms are barred from conducting any new commercial activities with seven US organizations that Beijing says have actively participated in Washington’s anti-China sanctions regime.

    Beijing has also suspended all cooperation with US certification bodies that carried out mandatory quality inspections for Chinese goods exported to the United States. A formal security probe has additionally been launched into potential risks posed by certain imported US-made office equipment.

    Market and policy analysts broadly view the new set of measures as a clear escalation of the ongoing technology and trade rivalry between the two global economic powers. Unlike earlier phases of the standoff that centered heavily on broad-based import tariffs, both Washington and Beijing have increasingly shifted focus to targeting strategic sectors that hold both economic and national security importance. These cutting-edge sectors include semiconductors, unmanned aerial systems, robotics, telecommunications, and other advanced dual-use technologies.

    While China’s latest countermeasures are narrowly targeted and do not amount to a full blanket trade ban on US goods and services, observers note they underscore the continued deepening of economic competition between the two powers. At the same time, both sides have signaled a continued interest in keeping tensions contained ahead of planned diplomatic engagements scheduled for later this year.

    For the South American nation of Suriname, the new measures do not carry immediate direct impacts. However, a further deterioration of Sino-US trade relations could drag down overall global economic growth, analysts warn. Over the longer term, a broader slowdown would affect global demand for raw materials, and push up international prices for key export commodities that Suriname relies on for government revenue and foreign exchange, including crude oil and gold. Disruptions to global supply chains stemming from escalated tensions could also drive up costs for imported technology and industrial goods that Suriname depends on for domestic development.

  • Minister Evelyn thanks stakeholders for making Culturama 52 a resounding success

    Minister Evelyn thanks stakeholders for making Culturama 52 a resounding success

    After nearly two weeks of vibrant cultural celebration across the Caribbean island of Nevis, the 52nd edition of the annual Culturama festival has wrapped up to widespread acclaim, with top government officials and event organizers praising the event as the most successful in recent years.

    Held from July 23 to August 4 under the official theme “Our Heritage Proud and True: It’s Culturama 52”, the annual festival is Nevis’ flagship cultural event, designed to showcase and preserve local Caribbean heritage, music, performance, and artistic traditions. In an official statement released August 6 by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), Deputy Premier and Minister of Culture Eric Evelyn extended deep gratitude to every person and group that contributed to the festival’s 2026 staging, calling the edition a resounding, transformative success.

    “From my perspective, Culturama 52 has truly been a tremendous success. Almost every event featured extraordinary production quality, and we saw strong, consistent attendance across all shows,” Evelyn said. “Over the past several years, we have worked to improve event timeliness, operational management, and attendee experience, and those efforts have clearly paid off this year. I am incredibly pleased with how everything came together, and I owe a huge thank you to every single person who helped turn C52 into the success it is today.”

    Evelyn went on to extend special congratulations to competitors who took home top honors across the festival’s dozens of competitions, pageants, and performance events, while also thanking every participant, regardless of outcome, for their contribution. “Without competitors willing to put themselves forward and share their talent, we could never have a successful Culturama. Every participant helped make these events what they are, and I am grateful to every single one.”

    Beyond competitors, the Minister thanked the Culturama Committee, volunteer teams, local vendors, event sponsors, street revellers, and attending patrons for their collective work. He specifically highlighted that the 2026 festival saw remarkably few incidents or accidents, crediting the good behavior of attendees for creating a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable environment for all participants and visitors.

    The Culturama Committee echoed Evelyn’s praise, releasing its own statement recognizing the hundreds of individuals and organizations that contributed to the festival’s success. The committee highlighted the energy and creativity of performance troupes, marching bands, and masqueraders who transformed the streets of downtown Charlestown into a vivid showcase of Nevisian cultural pride, adding that designers, volunteer workers, sponsors, artists, and local residents all played critical roles in making events like the Street Parade and Grand Parade unforgettable experiences.

    A wide range of competitors took home top honors across the festival’s core competitions. Mia Alexander, sponsored by the Caribbean Lottery, claimed the 2026 Bank of Nevis Miss Culture Queen title, while performer Kairo won the TDC Senior Kaiso Monarch crown. Adowah secured a back-to-back victory as National Bank Groovy Soca Monarch, and the team of Ras Brown and Rocco Dan took the title in the National Bank Power Soca Monarch competition. Additional major winners included Mighty Zen as Junior Kaiso Monarch, Oualie Rhythms Steel Orchestra for the National Bank Panorama competition, Kadijah Mulley as National Bank Miss Culture Swimwear 2026, and Devaughn Browne as National Bank Mr. Kool 2026. Porsha Precious Perkins and Keznambi Archibald of Charlestown Primary School won the Republic Bank Mr. & Miss Talented Youth Pageant, while Zaine Frederick of Antigua and Barbuda took home the crown of Bank of Nevis Miss Caribbean Culture Queen 2026.

    In the festival’s popular Street Parade competition, category honors went to David Dynasty in Folklore, Back in De Good Ole Days in Ole Mas, U 2 Young 2 Know Bout Dis in the Float category, and Four Seasons Whisper of Oualie in the Fantasy category. The festival officially came to a close when DVX Reloaded was named the 2026 Road March Champion for their hit track “Sugar Daddy”, closing out two weeks of celebration of Nevis’ rich cultural, musical, and traditional heritage.

  • Public ID law planned for over-16s

    Public ID law planned for over-16s

    Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander has publicly confirmed that the current national administration is moving forward with plans to introduce new legislation that would mandate every individual aged 16 and older, including both citizens and foreign visitors, to carry a valid form of government-issued photo identification at all times when in public spaces.

    The confirmation follows the leak of a confidential Cabinet Minute dated April 2, 2026, which circulated widely across social media platforms one day prior. The document outlined the proposed legislative amendments and has since been verified as authentic by Alexander during an exclusive telephone interview with local media outlet the Express. Following the Cabinet’s initial review, the proposal has been referred to the Finance and General Purposes Committee for further scrutiny and budgetary assessment.

    When pressed on whether failure to produce ID upon request from law enforcement officials would be classified as a criminal offense, Alexander noted that final details of the policy are still being finalized. He did, however, confirm that a grace period will be built into the framework to allow individuals to retrieve or present their documentation after a request, and expressed his personal support for financial fines or other administrative penalties for repeated non-compliance.

    Framing the policy as a critical tool to address longstanding challenges facing the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Alexander pointed to repeated difficulties officers face when serving arrest warrants. He shared a common scenario: police arrive at a location to arrest a suspect named John Brown, only for the individual to claim they are Harry James and have no connection to the warrant, with no easy way for officers to verify their identity on site. Beyond law enforcement, he added that mandatory ID will streamline legitimate business transactions and formal employment background checks, noting that similar requirements are already standard practice across most of the world. The policy, he argued, will also foster a stronger sense of national belonging among young people entering adulthood, and make it far easier for authorities to separate criminal actors from law-abiding residents.

    To ensure broad access to national identification cards, Alexander explained that the government will coordinate closely with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and multiple government ministries. For teenagers aged 16 and older still enrolled in school, the EBC will deploy mobile registration teams directly to campus, allowing students to complete the process and receive their ID before graduating, eliminating barriers for young people who may struggle to travel to official registration offices.

    The proposal has already drawn criticism from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), a reaction Alexander said he fully expected. He accused the PNM of a long-standing pattern of obstructing every government initiative designed to address the country’s ongoing crime crisis, calling their opposition hypocritical. “These same critics travel to other countries, follow local laws and readily present their passports or ID when requested by authorities, but here in Trinidad and Tobago, they seem content to allow lawlessness to continue and undermine the rule of law,” he said. “They are stuck in the 1970s, with their heads conveniently buried in the sand. The public has a right to ask why the PNM opposes every single policy this government introduces to make life harder for criminals.”

    Alexander also criticized the previous PNM administration for lax identification protocols, saying the former government allowed individuals to register residency in the country without requiring valid proof of identity from their country of birth. He gave an example of one individual who successfully registered twice under two different names — Josh Hernandez and an alternate alias — due to gaps in the old system. He emphasized that mandatory public ID aligns with long-held international standards, pointing out that Trinidad and Tobago citizens are required to present complete, verified documentation and valid visas when traveling abroad, and that photo ID is already required to open basic bank accounts in the country.

    When asked about a timeline for rolling out the new policy, Alexander said implementation will move forward as soon as the Prime Minister gives official approval. Beyond the ID mandate, he also shared updates on other core government public safety initiatives: 30 joint army-police security outposts are set to begin deployment across the country within the coming days, as part of ongoing efforts to clean up what he described as systemic mismanagement left by the previous PNM administration. He also confirmed that he has held talks with the Commissioner of Prisons about relocating the Port of Spain Prison out of the capital city, a long-term priority for the current administration to remove the correctional facility from the heart of the capital’s commercial and residential district. In additional policy news, Alexander added that the government will also introduce legislation to raise the legal age for alcohol and marijuana consumption, framing all of these new policies as interconnected measures to support young people and help them build healthy, law-abiding lives.

  • Residents facing weeks of dry taps

    Residents facing weeks of dry taps

    Communities across multiple districts of Arima, Trinidad and Tobago have been grappling with crippling water shortages for more than two weeks, sparking heated political backlash as opposition leaders and local officials accuse the national government of neglect and possible targeted retaliation.

    Pennelope Beckles, Opposition Leader and Arima’s sitting Member of Parliament, made the allegations public in a Facebook statement posted on Tuesday. She emphasized that the crisis has hit hardest in Valencia West, where locals have gone without reliable running water for nearly three full weeks. Beckles noted that many residents have shared with her office growing speculation that the ongoing scarcity may stem from political victimization, pointing to a stark shift in service delivery following the April 28 general election.

    “Many neighborhoods that once received consistent water access, including Pinto Road, Calvary, Santa Rosa and central Arima, now face severe, ongoing cuts,” Beckles wrote. “Even when water does reach these homes, the line pressure is so low that it is barely usable for daily needs.” She added that with the island’s water distribution network relying heavily on manual operational adjustments, residents have reported that contract “turnkey” workers have openly stated they are following directives from senior government officials to restrict service. These claims, Beckles argued, raise alarming questions about the politicization of critical public infrastructure.

    Beckles also doubled down on criticism of the government’s broader management of the national water supply, questioning whether the Arima shortage is a sign of a far deeper, nationwide crisis. “Why are Arima residents facing problems they never encountered before this administration took office?” she asked. “We are tired of the government endlessly repeating talking points about past failures. It received $315 million in allocated funding specifically to upgrade the country’s water infrastructure. Where are the tangible improvements for everyday people?” She highlighted that major infrastructure overhauls were completed at the Guanapo Water Treatment Plant, but residents in Arima and East Trinidad have yet to see any noticeable boost in service reliability.

    Arima Mayor Balliram Maharaj echoed Beckles’ frustrations in an interview with the Express, noting that water scarcity has been a persistent blight on the borough for decades, and reiterated his longstanding call for the construction of low-cost emergency water retention ponds to stabilize local supplies.

    “Arima literally translates to ‘place of water’ in the local language, yet for years we have had the worst water access in all of Trinidad and Tobago,” Maharaj said. “Even government offices and local police stations reach out to me constantly to complain about the lack of running water.” Since taking office as mayor, Maharaj explained, he has repeatedly requested approval to develop at least five emergency retention sites, a small-scale project that he estimates would cost between $3 million and $4 million – a sum he calls fully affordable for the national government. “I am now seriously considering moving forward with building one retention pond on my own, just to prove the concept, and hoping the government will take over the broader project from there,” he added.

    Maharaj also recalled multiple major fire emergencies across Arima in recent years where first responders were left without enough water to extinguish blazes, putting lives and property at extreme risk. He confirmed that according to internal plans from the State-owned Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the agency has proposed building 32 new retention ponds across Arima, but no progress has been made on the project to date. While Maharaj acknowledged that climate change and an unusually dry wet season have exacerbated current conditions, he called the ongoing crisis “a very sad thing” for a region whose identity is tied to water abundance.

    In an official response to inquiries from the Express, WASA offered its own explanation for the shortages, pointing to record-low rainfall across the recent dry season as the primary culprit. The authority noted that the entire North East Distribution System, which serves most of Arima, relies almost exclusively on surface water sources, making it extremely vulnerable to shifts in rainfall patterns.

    “Valencia West and large portions of Arima draw most of their supply from the Hollis water system,” WASA explained. “Following months of below-average rainfall, raw water reserves at the source dropped sharply, forcing us to cut production from roughly 8.5 million imperial gallons per day (IMGD) to 4.5 IMGD to stretch supplies through the dry period. This required mandatory adjustments to distribution schedules across all affected communities.”

    For neighborhoods supplied by the Guanapo and Aripo water treatment plants – including Pinto Road, Santa Rosa and Calvary – WASA confirmed that service was interrupted on roughly 10 non-consecutive days in July, when heavy rainfall muddied raw water sources and clogged intake screens, disrupting treatment operations. “Both plants have now been fully restored to normal operation, and these areas are now receiving water according to our standard distribution schedules,” the agency said. “We will continue to monitor source water levels and adjust schedules as reserves improve in the coming months.”

  • Republic Bank CPL launches Hall of Fame to honour the icons who built a cricketing phenomenon

    Republic Bank CPL launches Hall of Fame to honour the icons who built a cricketing phenomenon

    Thirteen years after it first brought high-octane T20 franchise cricket to the Caribbean, the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is cementing its legacy by launching a dedicated Hall of Fame, an annual honor that will recognize the trailblazers who turned a regional cricket tournament into a global sporting phenomenon. The initiative will celebrate contributions from both on-field athletes and off-field builders of the competition, which has redefined modern Caribbean cricket since its debut in 2013.

    Over its 13-year history, CPL has cultivated some of the most iconic moments in global T20 cricket. It all began in 2013, when Chris Gayle’s explosive unbeaten 47 steered the Jamaica Tallawahs to lift the tournament’s very first championship trophy. In the years that followed, the league has delivered countless record-breaking performances: Trinbago Knight Riders set an unmatched tournament record with a mammoth total of 267/2, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo built a legacy of consistent wicket-taking and title wins across every era of the league, Tim Seifert and Andre Russell share the record for the fastest century, both reaching the milestone in just 33 balls, Shakib Al Hasan holds the competition’s best bowling figures with an incredible 6/6, and Trinbago Knight Riders made history when they completed an unbeaten 2020 season en route to becoming the first CPL side to claim three, and later five, tournament titles.

    Today, CPL stands as a cornerstone of Caribbean sport, drawing millions of global viewers while showcasing elite homegrown and international cricket talent across its six regional franchises. The new Hall of Fame is designed to give these iconic moments and the people who created them a permanent, lasting home in the tournament’s history. Under the program’s structure, two new inductees will be welcomed into the Hall of Fame each year: one current or former player who delivered extraordinary on-field performances, and one off-field individual whose behind-the-scenes impact has been instrumental to the league’s growth and success.

    “CPL has given us thirteen years of moments people still talk about – Gayle in 2013, Pollard’s record-breaking eighteenth title, Dwayne Bravo’s wickets and wins, and nights nobody who was there will forget,” said Pete Russell, CEO of CPL. “The Hall of Fame is how we make sure those moments, and the people who created them, are never lost. As we head into our second decade, it’s time to give this tournament’s history a permanent home.”

    The first cohort of inductees will be celebrated at a star-studded gala dinner hosted in Barbados on September 15, 2026, which will bring together current stars, West Indian cricket legends, and members of the regional cricket community for a night of celebration. All proceeds from the inaugural event will go to The Sir Clive Lloyd Healthcare Foundation, supporting the organization’s critical work advancing prostate cancer awareness and accessible testing across the Caribbean. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men in the region, and the foundation’s Great Catch initiative works to expand early detection services to underserved communities across the Caribbean.

    Moving forward, the Hall of Fame induction will become an annual highlight of the CPL calendar, with new inductees announced in the weeks leading up to each year’s gala. The identities of the first two inductees will be revealed to the public in the coming weeks, as the league prepares to open a new chapter of honoring its past while supporting causes that matter deeply to the Caribbean community it serves.

  • T&T athlete dies in Jamaica crash

    T&T athlete dies in Jamaica crash

    The regional athletics community is reeling from the sudden, tragic passing of 31-year-old Shirnell Ettienne, a decorated Trinidad and Tobago national track and field athlete, who died Monday after the vehicle she was riding in veered off a Jamaican roadway and crashed into the Wag Water River.

    Ettienne, a native of Point Fortin who represented her home country at dozens of national and regional competitions over her career, was a passenger in a westbound Toyota Corolla Altis traveling along St Mary’s Agualta Vale main road near Wag Water Bridge when the driver lost control navigating a left-hand curve, according to a public statement from local sports outlet TTgameplan. The car careened off the pavement and plunged into the rushing river below.

    Initial rescue accounts confirm that all four people inside the vehicle were able to escape the sinking car before it was fully submerged. But as Ettienne attempted to climb to the riverbank to safety, she slipped on wet terrain and was swept away by the river’s strong, fast-moving current. A local resident later recovered her body, which was transported to Annotto Bay Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead. The three other passengers in the car sustained only minor injuries, received on-site medical care, and have since been released from treatment.

    A decorated middle-distance and relay athlete, Ettienne got her start in track with the Point Fortin New Jets youth club before going on to compete for UTT Fast Track at the collegiate and senior levels. She earned her place in Trinidad and Tobago athletics history at the 2014 CARIFTA Games hosted in Martinique, where she claimed a silver medal as part of the Girls Under-20 4x400m relay team. Running alongside teammates Ayoka Cummings, Tsai-Anne Joseph and Zakiya Denoon, the team posted a finishing time of 3:46.11 to take second place. Ettienne also competed individually at the same games, placing seventh in the 400m with a time of 58.10.

    Her domestic career was marked by consistent success as well: in 2012, she took home bronze in the Girls’ Under-18 400m at the NAAA Junior Championships with a time of 58.21, and also competed in the senior women’s 200m event that same year. Over the course of her career, she competed in competitions ranging from the Southern Games to the NAAA Cross Country Championships, demonstrating impressive versatility across sprint, middle-distance, and cross country events.

    News of Ettienne’s unexpected death sent immediate shockwaves through Trinidad and Tobago’s tight-knit sporting community, with fellow athletes, governing bodies, fans, and residents of her hometown flooding social media with tributes and messages of condolence. Countless commentators remembered Ettienne for her relentless dedication to the sport, her landmark achievements, and the unwavering pride she brought to representing Trinidad and Tobago on every stage she competed.

    “To know Shirnell Ettienne was to know laughter,” a close friend shared in a public tribute. “Her presence could light up a room, and her laughter was something you could never forget. She had a way of making people smile and creating memories that will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. It hurts knowing we have to say goodbye, but we will forever cherish the beautiful memories she left behind. Rest peacefully, beautiful soul. You will truly be missed.”

    Ettienne is survived by her young daughter, who close family sources say has already expressed a desire to follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in athletics.