Cricket : Breakout’ On Hold CWI, CPL Look for A More ‘Suitable Window’ For the T20 Series

Source :Sunday Express
The Breakout T20 League has been placed on hold for 2026, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) continue to search for a suitable window for the tournament in an increasingly congested international and domestic calendar.

The announcement came via a CWI media release yesterday, which stated that the League will not be staged in its originally planned window in 2026, following a joint review of the calendar by CWI and CPL.

“Given the increasingly congested international and domestic cricket calendar, coupled with preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, it has been determined that the tournament cannot be staged in its originally planned window,” the media release stated.

Just on Wednesday, at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s Executive Luncheon, Board president and CWI vice-president Azim Bassarath said Trinidad and Tobago would again host the Breakout League from January 24 to February 8 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

However, yesterday, both CWI and CPL noted that the decision to place the series on hold represents a pause rather than a cancellation.

The inaugural tournament was held in April/May 2025, where the hosts, the T&T Legions, led by captain Joshua Da Silva and coached by Rayad Emrit, lifted the trophy.

The tournament provided a platform for several players, with Navin Bidaisee, Jyd Goolie, and Abdul Raheem Toppin all benefiting from the exposure.

Bidaisee went on to make his West Indies debut, while Goolie also received a West Indies call-up but was unable to join the team in the United Kingdom due to updated visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

Toppin later represented the T&T Red Force in the Super50 Cup.

Still committed to Breakout League

Yesterday, CWI and CPL stressed that they “remain firmly committed to the Breakout T20 League. CWI chief executive officer Chris Dehring said: “While we have not yet identified a suitable window for the Breakout League in 2026, it remains an important pillar of our domestic tournament strategy.

“This pause, particularly during a stringent fiscal period, provides an opportunity to assess the league’s structure and to determine whether it is optimally positioned within the World Cup cycle to deliver the best possible developmental outcomes.”

He continued: “We must cast a wider net across the Caribbean to ensure we are identifying players with the skill, athleticism and mindset required for the modern game, including those who may emerge later or who have not yet had sustained exposure to elite environments. That requires stronger scouting, improved data capture and clearer alignment between the Breakout League and our high-performance systems, so that progression to the senior international level is intentional and measurable.”

Dehring added that alignment across all levels of West Indies cricket is particularly critical during the current cycle, with multiple national squads active on the global stage.

In October, CWI announced that, due to its financial position, it would reduce the number of tournaments and the number of teams participating in regional competitions for the 2025–26 season.

It was announced at the time that the regional Under-17 tournament would be scrapped and that Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and the West Indies Academy teams are likely to be withdrawn from regional tournaments in the upcoming season.

In terms of scheduling, Dehring said: “With the Under-19 Men’s and Senior Men’s teams focused on upcoming World Cups, this is an especially demanding period for our players.

“While the Breakout League remains part of our forward planning, it will not be staged in the same window. Both CWI and CPL agree that the tournament must have sufficient space to make a meaningful developmental impact and to truly engage our fans. We will continue to look for a space for this event in 2026,” he added.

The Under-19 World Cup will begin on January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia, while the senior men’s T20 World Cup will be staged in India and Sri Lanka starting on February 7.

Meanwhile, CPL chief executive officer Pete Russell also highlighted the importance of ensuring the Breakout League’s long-term viability.

“The CPL fully supports the Breakout League and its role within Caribbean cricket,” Russell said. “Although we have not yet been able to secure a suitable window for 2026, our commitment to the competition remains unchanged. This period will allow us to refine the format, timing and supporting structures to ensure the league fulfils its intended role within the regional development system, both now and in the future,” he added.