Kingston, Jamaica, June 11th, 2013 –  With excitement building towards the start of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League which bowls off in Barbados on Tuesday 30th July, Digicel has taken a majority stake in the annual Twenty20 cricket tournament, it was announced today (Tue 11).

The move sees Digicel further expanding its substantial cricket portfolio which includes sponsorship of West Indies cricket, sponsorship of a number of individual players including Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard among others, an extensive youth development programme and sponsorship of the Caribbean Premier League.

Ajmal Khan, Chairman and CEO of Verus International, said; “Since we launched the Caribbean Premier League in partnership with the WICB, we have been focused on attracting major strategic partners who will help build a world class tournament that stimulates the local economies of the Caribbean.

I am delighted that my close partners at Digicel have shared so passionately the vision I have for the development of cricket and the unequalled opportunity that is provided by this tournament for the entire Caribbean region.  I look forward to working with the WICB and Digicel to accomplish these goals.”

Commenting on the decision to invest in the CPL, Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, said; “The Caribbean Premier League is set to be the biggest party in sport this summer. We have already signed on as a major sponsor of the tournament, so when we were offered the opportunity to invest in the CPL, we jumped at it.

We are really excited by the opportunities the League brings to the region across tourism, trade and importantly, jobs for local Caribbean people. We look forward to an incredible cricket event and we hope everybody will enjoy the show.”