Dr Keith Rowley

According to the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, the CPL will present a proposal to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his cabinet for T&T’s consideration as host for the eighth edition. The CPL is proposing to play four matches a day in T&T, two at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, Port-of-Spain and two at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando, the Guardian reported.

However, sources inside the CPL tell Sportsmax.TV that no final decision has been made about where the tournament would be held this year.

“CPL are looking at a number of scenarios that allow the tournament to go ahead in a way that is both safe and deliverable,” said a CPL spokesperson.

“Our plans are not yet finalised but we are working flat out to get to a point where we can tell our fans what we have in place. As soon as we are able to do so we will let you know the full details.”

Meantime, the Guardian is reporting that originally, CPL hinted that the tournament could be played in two or three countries but there has been a change of heart and T&T has now been given the opportunity to take the entire tournament.

The Barbados Tridents are the defending champions.

Organisers of the CPL had last month negotiated with the T&T government to host the CPL, usually occurring throughout six countries, solely in the twin-island republic.

The schedule and venues for the CPL have since been released, with the T&T Prime Minister promising a bubble to protect the citizens of T&T.

“Everything that will go on around the CPL will go on in a bubble that does not interact with the national population,” he said.

According to Rowley, all visitors will be screened for COVID-19 before coming to T&T and once they do, they would be subject to all protocols of entry. Once in the country, those visitors are confined to the Hilton Hotel “and that becomes a bubble for them.”

Matches will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba and at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair.

Those venues form part of the bubble with Rowley saying, "Then (the players) will go to a venue to play the game where they will not interact with the population. So, therefore, the CPL is a bubble that has nothing to do with what goes on with the population in the country."

The CPL is scheduled for August 18-September 10.