GUERNSEY cricket is to have its own version of the Indian Premier League.

Four franchised teams paying £2,500 per season will bid for 44 selected local players playing in a concentrated GPL T20 in the month leading to the island’s involvement in the potentially very lucrative European region T20 World Cup qualifier.

The three-year franchise deals will pull in £30,000 for the Guernsey Cricket Board but, more important in the eyes of the GCB, it will provide meaningful and entertaining cricket that will raise not only the game of individuals and with it the strength of the island team, but bring spectators back.

One of the key aspects of the new competition is that each team will feature an ‘overseas’ player coach. James Kirtley (pictured) , the Sussex and former England Test player, who retires at the end of this current campaign, is expected to lead one of the already confirmed teams, Clubhouse Casuals.

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