CPL 2020 to be held in Trinidad & Tobago between August 18 and September 10

In what has come as exciting news for cricket fans across the world, Trinidad and Tobago is all set to become the second country after England to bring professional cricket to its shores after the T&T government granted approval for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to be hosted in the country. The 2020 edition of the CPL will now take place between August 18 and September 10 in Trinidad & Tobago, in which a total of 33 matches will be played behind closed doors across two stadiums.

As per the agreement between the CPL and the T&T government, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo, all parties involved in the tournament - be it the players or support staff or crew members - will have to self-isolate for two weeks prior to landing in T&T, after which they will once again have to undergo a 14-day isolation upon landing in Trinidad. It is believed that everyone who lands in Trinidad will be tested for Covid-19 thrice - once upon arrival then again on the 7th and the 14th day of their incubation period.

It is also believed that everyone will be accommodated in the same hotel in Trinidad, in which they will be broken up into mini-clusters. The thought process behind this is should anyone from one particular cluster test positive prior to or during the tournament, then the entire cluster will be isolated from the rest. A strict no-guest policy will also reportedly be employed. 

"We will continue to monitor the situation concerning COVID-19 and to be on top of it, as it is a rolling situation and requires different rules and regulations as time goes on," T&T minister of sport and youth affairs Shamfa Cudjoe said in a news conference, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

"Once we bring off this tournament successfully and I am sure we will, then it will be a lesson for us in hosting other games."

Trinidad and Tobago has, till date, recorded a total of just 133 Covid-19 cases, but the country, nevertheless, has kept its borders closed. That precedent will change, though, when the players and other tournament-related crew members arrive for the CPL in late August.