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Hampshire in talks for Caribbean Twenty20

Hampshire are in talks with the West Indies cricket board over the possibility of joining the Twenty20 Calypso Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff
14-Oct-2010
Hampshire won the FPt20 but could not take part in the Champions League  •  Getty Images

Hampshire won the FPt20 but could not take part in the Champions League  •  Getty Images

Hampshire are in talks with the West Indies Cricket Board over the possibility of joining the Caribbean T20 and are waiting on assurances from the board.
Hampshire missed out on the Twenty20 Champions League after winning the Friends Provident t20 because the tournament clashed with the end of the Championship season. Playing in West Indies' domestic tournament would be their first chance of international competition.
The club are yet to commit, however, because they are waiting on news from the WICB. "We have yet to commit as there are financial implications," Hampshire chief executive Glenn Delve said. "Financially it needs to stack up and we have yet to receive assurances from the West Indies cricket board."
The inaugural Caribbean T20 was held in July this year with Guyana emerging triumphant and earning a spot in the Champions League Twenty20. The Calypso Cup, another Twenty20 tournament planned for January 2011, has been postponed indefinitely due to "ongoing financial challenges" faced by the board. The tournament was meant to include four domestic teams from the Caribbean, three English counties and one overseas team.
Hampshire's presence would help raise the profile of the tournament, which is scheduled for January.
Hampshire were previously linked to the Royals franchise but sought to distance themselves when Rajasthan Royals were expelled from the IPL, with chairman Rod Bransgrove telling reporters when the news broke that "the club has not yet signed final documentation in relation to the proposed commercial partnership with the Rajasthan Royals."