No decision yet on country for CPL finals: CEO

The organisers of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are disputing statements from top government ministers in Guyana that Trinidad and Tobago have been chosen to host the finals of the cricket tournament.

CPL's chief executive officer Damien O' Donohoe said that contrary to public comments from Guyana's finance minister Winston Jordan and sports minister Nicolette Henry no decision has been made on which country will host the finals, reports CMC.

Media reports from Georgetown quoted Jordan as saying that T&T has outbid Guyana to host the Caribbean showpiece, weeks after his country expressed an interest in the final matches to bolster the golden jubilee year celebrations of T&T.

"The CPL made a bid, we reviewed it in cabinet? we were to review it again and then we heard that Trinidad outbid us," Jordan told reporters on Thursday.

"Of course there will be a degree of disappointment that we are not hosting the finals? We don't have the reserves of Trinidad first of all and Trinidad would have always been an attractive venue."

Guyana was offering CPL organisers $1.5 million to host the finals but reports suggest that the T&T government offered $1 million more.

"Trinidad bid much higher than us at this stage," Henry said.

"We can't match it. There is no way we can match it".

However in a statement released also on Thursday, CPL reported that it was currently negotiating with three countries but a decision has not yet been made.

"The CPL is currently in negotiations with three countries who are each bidding to host the finals of this year's CPL," the release quoted O' Donohoe as saying.

"Despite recent speculation, no decision has been made regarding the venue and it is hoped that negotiations will be concluded within the next fortnight."

The CPL runs from June 29 to August 7.

--IANS

sam/bg