NATIONAL SUCCESS
It’s happening, be a part of it!
Guyana is long known in the Caribbean and worldwide for its cricketing feats. Names like Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd and Shivnarine Chanderpaul resonate with avid fans across the globe. The sport itself offers lifelong learning and development opportunities for both men and women while at the same time presents a platform for economic advances for anyone, rich or poor, who has enough passion for the game to make it a career.
Cricket is a commodity of Guyana that is not often valued for its true worth. Apart from being a source of revenue for players, cricket presents business opportunities for several sectors. There is no cricket match that is played at the Providence National Stadium that does not see record crowds in attendance. Guyanese are known for lining up in advance to secure tickets to matches, whether they are played in the day or at night. Small businesses pop up outside cricket matches, bringing a true Caribbean flavour to the setting. Moreover however, are the marketing and sales opportunities within these events, solely reserved for sponsors. The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is looking for such partners who exhibit the energy, motivation, persistence, networking ability, resources and the passion for the game of cricket.
The GCB unveiled a new company called Cricket Guy Inc. (CGI) in September 2014 which has the task of advancing the development of the current and future generations of Guyanese cricketers using a brand new franchise based system. This unprecedented venture by the Guyana Cricket Board is the future of Corporate/ Sports partnership in Guyana and has a great and promising potential to be the catalyst that is needed for our country’s return to cricket greatness.
This proposal outlines the clear-cut benefits associated with sponsorship under this system that we hope will be attractive to your company.
The GCB is proud of its efforts thus far in grooming players for national and regional events. Having stated that, the GCB is even more proud of the returns received from these efforts: The Guyana National Under-15, Under-19 and Senior Male teams are currently ALL regional champions. The Under-15 and Under-19 teams both successfully defended their titles this year. The intention is to build on these successes. To put Guyana on the map for positive reasons like good, clean, entertaining cricket!
The Government of Guyana continues to place emphasis on sports as a development tool and this initiative from the GCB has found favour with the administration. Discussions are on-going on the Government’s plans to introduce new tax policies that will be designed to encourage corporate support for sports events like those associated with cricket. The GCB will continue to provide input, as needed, to make this a reality.
THE NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE
How does it help local cricket development?
There is the need to create a structure that can absorb our young talent while ensuring enough quality cricket is played countrywide enabling our technical staff to properly assess talent thereby being able to select teams with the availability of more data. A National Cricket league can provide a platform that will ensure an adequate amount of cricket-playing hours for the development of cricketers while at the same time deliver key opportunities for scouting new and emerging talent needed to propel both Guyanese and West Indies cricket.
Some benefits to this new initiative are:
- It is highly likely to promote a culture of professionalism among and between teams and players.
- It is highly likely to make both the game and players more marketable.
- It is highly likely to encourage and demand higher levels of player investment and productivity.
- It is highly likely to help to retain our talented players who generally seek cricket employment overseas on an annual basis.
- It is highly likely to make cricket matches more competitive, by creating a wider pool of players to monitor and select from.
- It will decentralise cricket from the basic three county format
- It is highly likely to assist in the promotion of ground facility development.
- It is highly likely to return domestic cricket to a desired spectator sport.
- It will definitely help the county boards to manage their cricket development programs in a more effective manner, since they (county boards) will be benefitting financially.
THE NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE
How does it work?
The Local Franchise League shall be coordinated and conducted by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) with appropriate and able assistance of the Overall Franchise sponsor and team sponsors. The league shall comprise 8 teams; over time shall be termed the National Cricket League teams, with each franchise also having for a National Minor Cricket League (emerging players for the major league) and Women’s Senior Team.
The teams shall be used as a means to select the National Senior Cricket Team, to represent Guyana at the West Indies Regional 4 Day and 50 Overs Tournament. The League through its T20 format will also develop potential players for the CPL.
The Local Franchise League shall have as its genesis a Semi-Professional Cricket Structure, where players are paid on a match by match basis, and shall progress to a professional cricket system, where players are paid monthly or seasonally in exchange for an uncompromising commitment to enhance their expertise.
All Franchise teams shall be suitably staffed with Coaches, Assistant Coach -Managers, Fitness trainers and Physiotherapists. It is expected that these teams shall grow to have their own management offices or personnel.
The matches shall be highly promoted and over time, avenues shall be exploited to ensure the televising/radio broadcast of matches. This video highlight may first begin with live stream then graduate to live televised matches. This of course would entail the purchase and sale of airtime.
In general, the Local Franchise League shall be utilized to enhance both the talents of players and the culture of cricket in Guyana – returning spectators to the sport; being a catalyst for the cricket standard transformation of other West Indian Territories.
As highlighted above, the Local Franchise League shall consist of:
- An Overall Franchise Sponsor,
- Team Sponsors and
- Apparel Sponsors
A total of eight (8) teams will be drawn from the following geographic areas:
1. Upper Corentyne 2. Georgetown 3. Lower Corentyne 4. East Bank & Upper Demerara 5. West Berbice 6. West Demerara 7. East Coast Demerara 8. Essequibo Each team will have the opportunity to play each other in all 3 formats of the game, namely T/20, 50 Overs and 3-Day matches. However, the T/20 tournament shall have semi-finals and finals, with the top team from the preliminary rounds going straight to the finals and the 2nd and 3rd place teams from the preliminary playing in the semi-finals, for a place in the finals.
With appropriate sponsorship, the National T20 tournament can be named …….?( Premier League) or any other suitable name mutually agreed by the GCB and the Sponsor. This tournament would be played as a lead up to the CPL (Caribbean Premier League). All players contracted by the GCB/ CGI will be attached to teams country wide to create balance and spur interest.
THE NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE
What does it mean to be an Overall Franchise Sponsor?
As the Overall Franchise Sponsor the following EXCLUSIVE rights are bought annually:
- Branding Rights for all venues at the national league
- Only sponsor’s beverages/products to be sold at the National League Games
- Pouring Rights for all International Cricket Matches available to the Guyana Cricket Board for the duration of the contract
- The Branding Rights for the Guyana Senior Team 4 Day and 50 Overs matches
- At least 5 VIP Tickets for International Matches hosted by the GCB
- At least 15 tickets to all regional matches hosted by the GCB
- Televised advertisements (exposure) through ESPN when there are Regional matches
- Rights to the Guyana National Team (shirt sponsor)
- One in stadia ad board every time the National team is playing
- A share of all exposures available to the GCB from WICB
- Usage of teams’ and players’ image rights
The Overall Franchise Sponsor agrees to
- ..be the major sponsor of the Local Franchise League system
- ..secure such sponsorship over a 3 year period
- ..assist in the promotion of the Local Franchise League as a professional and marketable unit
The cost of becoming an Overall Franchise Sponsor is: G$35,000,000 annually.
THE NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE
What does it mean to be a Team Sponsor?
As a Team Sponsor the following rights are bought annually:
- Receipt of 50% of the profit made from the gates
- Receipt of 50% of the profit made from the bars
- Receipt of mileage acquired from the promotion of the team, inclusive uniform branding.
- Branding at the venues
- One ad board at all touring venues
- Two Presidential Suite tickets to all international cricket matches hosted by the GCB
- Ten tickets to all regional matches hosted by the GCB
- Usage of the team image and contracted players’ image rights
The Team Sponsor has the responsibility to
- ..secure a Home Venue
- ..prepare ground facilities, inclusive of dressing room areas
- ..provide appropriate meals
- ..pay their players and team officials
- ..assist in ground security measures
- ..assist in avoiding ambush marketing
- ..assist in the smooth monitoring of the gates
The cost of becoming a Team Franchise Sponsor is: G$5,000,000 annually.
We hope that you have been able to:
- Have a clear understanding of concept of the Local Franchise League.
- Have a clear understanding of context and nature of the Local Franchise League.
- Have a clear understanding of contribution that the implementation of the Local Franchise League will have on the development of cricket locally.
- Be able to determine the role and responsibilities of the Overall Sponsor of the Franchise.
- Be able to determine the benefits of becoming an Overall Sponsor of the Franchise.
- Be able to determine the role and responsibilities of the Team Sponsors.
- Be able to determine the benefits of the Team Sponsors of the Franchise
Our friendly staff at the Guyana Cricket Board is available to answer any further questions you may have and I personally commit to following through any agreement with the integrity, professionalism and transparency that the GCB so proudly strives for.
Looking forward to this partnership!
Guyana Cricket Board