Stanford to try Super Stars concept again
Sir Allen Stanford has expanded his 20/20 Super Stars concept with US$20 million up for grabs for the winning team
Cricinfo staff
05-Jul-2007
 |
|
The Super Stars competition is scheduled for June 2008 and will feature a team made up of the best players from next year's January-February tournament. Stanford plans to invite four ICC teams to Antigua to play each other in a single elimination knockout system, with the winning team to take on the Super Stars for the US$20 million jackpot. A one-off match between the Super Stars and South Africa was slated for last November, with a US$5 million prize, but did not take place.
After the success of last year's Stanford 20/20, the Super Stars will next season be able to select players from 21 teams. As with the existing sides, Turks and Caicos will receive US$100,000 in capital investment funding and US$180,000 to spend on the development of players and coaches, and the maintenance of facilities and equipment. Stanford said international policies meant the same funding could not be given to Cuba, but the Stanford 20/20 board would offer support in other ways.
Development funding will also be provided for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. They are expected to field teams in the 2009 tournament. Next year's competition will be the first to feature the Antigua and Barbuda professional team that Stanford put together, in what will be an interesting test case for Stanford's idea of a professional league in the Caribbean.
"I'm committed to [the two tournaments] and will be investing a further US$100 million over the next three years and at some point I expect to make a profit, something that needs to happen for the longevity of the programme and will provide essential funding for West Indies cricket," Stanford said. "I have committed my resources and I believe that within the next three years we will have a world-beating West Indies team again."