Image courtesy of: The Telegraph

Gibson likes the fact that there will be “fierce competition” throughout the CPL

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has revealed that the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will provide him with an ample opportunity to scout for younger talents as each franchise must have at least four Under-23 players representing them at all times.

Gibson is also hoping the CPL teaches players how to deal with “fierce competition” and helps them become more financially stable.

“The one thing I saw watching the IPL this year is fierce competition. International sport is all about fierce competition so hopefully the CPL will produce more guys that are able to handle the pressure of that competition,” Gibson said. “Hopefully that is what the CPL will do for West Indies cricket, as well as making a lot of players comfortable financially.”

The CPL is scheduled to get underway on July 30 and will feature 24 thrilling matches before the final at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on August 24.

With each franchise boasting many local and international talents, there is no doubt that each team will bring their A-game every single match, and this is exactly the kind of mentality Gibson wants the West Indies to have if they are to become the best in the world once again.

“It will help our T20 cricket because you have seen that about eight or nine of our guys are IPL stars,” Gibson said. “Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, and Sunil Narine are all IPL superstars and we hope that the CPL, while producing more superstars, can produce people that can get used to fierce competition.”

The first game of the CPL will be between the Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks and will take place at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.