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The 2022 Carribean Premier League Champions Jamaica Tallawahs will reportedly not feature in the 2024 season of the league. Instead, they will be replaced by an Antigua and Barbuda-based franchise in the forthcoming season. Tallawahs was owned by a Florida-based Guyanese businessman, Kris Persaud, but has sold it back to the CPL. Tallawahs are the second-most successful team in the history of the league. They won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2013 before reclaiming the throne in 2016 and 2022.
According to ESPNCricinfo, The team is set to be replaced by a franchise based out of Antigua and Barbuda; however, the team hasn’t got a name yet. Notably, a team called Antigua Hawksbills appeared in the first two CPL seasons. The team won just three matches and was replaced in 2015 by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
A CPL spokesperson was quoted by ESPN as saying, "The owners were left with no option but to sell the Tallawahs back to CPL as they could not find a way to operate the team sustainably.” Earlier this week, the minister of sports in the Antigua and Barbuda Senate revealed that they will host a franchise in 2024 earlier this week. He said, "We can expect very easily and conservatively to generate approximately US$6 million per year by simply having a CPL franchise based in Antigua and Barbuda.”
A spokesperson told ESPN, "The CPL remains committed to having a team based in Jamaica, but this will be in 2025 at the earliest. In 2024, there will be six teams taking part in the CPL with franchises based in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago." As per the reports, the CPL 2024 season will start in mid-August and will end by September end.
