00:01This year's Regional 4D Tournament has a different format unlike the past where each team played every other opponent.
00:08Instead, TNT will play hosts Leeward Islands three times in Antigua, Jamaica will host Barbados for three games,
00:15while the Windwards are at home to defending champions Guyana with both also meeting each other thrice.
00:20But isn't this a disadvantage? Using the example of Guyana, they are known to have a good record against Windwards.
00:26TTCB President Azim Basrat, who is also CWI Vice President, begs to differ.
00:32This format was created and derived from a lot of consultations, a lot of discussions with the Cricket Committee and
00:40also with the Director of Cricket.
00:42I don't agree with you that I feel that when you're saying the stronger team playing against the weaker team,
00:48the Regional 4D Tournament completed nearly one year ago.
00:52So I don't think that we can judge which is the strongest team now or which is the weakest team.
00:57But why this format? Never has it happened before, with teams playing every other opponent at least once,
01:04and sometimes twice based on a home and away leg.
01:07According to Basrat, CWI was left with no choice but to go with this format since things are far from
01:13hunky-dory.
01:14I agree with the format that was suggested by the Director of Cricket.
01:19Because of the challenges that Cricket West Indies is facing at this time,
01:23that this was the only solution to at least allow the cricketers in the Caribbean to play some 4-day
01:29cricket.
01:30We are having about four test matches to be played in the Caribbean before August.
01:35Two tests against Sri Lanka, two tests against Pakistan.
01:40So that's the reason why we think it was important at least to provide some sort of 4-day cricket.
01:45The longer version of the game for players to play.
01:49Based on the format, the three winners during the match-ups have a shot at the title.
01:53The team with the most points from the three winners goes directly into a final,
01:57while the other two battle it out in a virtual semi-final.
02:00So the question is, will this be the format moving forward?
02:04This is only a one-year format.
02:06We are hoping that at least our situation will improve for 2027,
02:12and where we are going to go back to the original structure and schedule that we used to have prior
02:18to this year.
02:20Each team will not have a manager, with the assistant coach filling in that role,
02:24which is also a cost-cutting exercise.
02:26Vinod Nawani, TFC Sport.
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