Global Voices Online » Antigua and Barbuda http://globalvoicesonline.org The world is talking. Are you listening? Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:00:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en © globalvoices.online@gmail.com () globalvoices.online@gmail.com() 1440 The world is talking. Are you listening? globalvoices.online@gmail.com No no http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/_p/img/badges/gvlogo-rss-144px.gif Global Voices Online http://globalvoicesonline.org 144 144 Caribbean: Region Scores Big in Stanford 20/20 Cricket http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/11/03/caribbean-region-scores-big-in-2020-cricket/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/11/03/caribbean-region-scores-big-in-2020-cricket/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:15:19 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=52186 Allen Stanford is trying to remake the face of cricket. His latest "big idea" is a 20/20 contest in which the winning team walks away with US$20 million (that's US$1 million per man) and the loser gets...well, nothing. It all happened this past weekend and West Indian bloggers put in their two cents' worth... ]]>
A section of the crowd at the “Stanford 20/20 for 20 Super Series” - Photo courtesy Stanford 20/20 for use by media. Photography credit: Mediaimran - visit his flickr photostream.

U.S. billionaire Allen Stanford is trying to remake the face of cricket in hopes of turning it into the number one spectator sport in the world, perhaps one day even surpassing the popularity of football and baseball in his home country.

To this end, he has opened a cricket-themed restaurant (The Sticky Wicket) in Antigua, made a point of honouring West Indian cricket greats via The Sticky Wicket Hall of Fame and built the Stanford Cricket Ground - the location for his latest “big idea” - a 20/20 contest in which the winning team walks away with US$20 million (that's US$1 million per man) and the loser gets…well, nothing.


The “Stanford Superstars” celebrate the taking of another English wicket - Photo courtesy Stanford 20/20 for use by media. Photography credit: Mediaimran - visit his flickr photostream.

It all happened this past weekend. The Stanford Superstars roundly embarrassed the England team, winning the match by an astounding ten wickets and becoming overnight millionaires in the process. West Indian bloggers put in their two cents' worth…

From Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life says:

Whether people agree or not, 20/20 is the future of Cricket. I say this because in the real world of sports money talks louder than the traditionalist. 20/20 Cricket promoted by billionaire Sir Allen Stanford, has taken the gentleman’s game of cricket to a new commercial level very few sports enjoy. 20/20 may hardly resemble traditional test cricket and the limited 50 over game but it is intensely entertaining and may just be what the Americans will order if it is on the menu.


The 20 million dollar men - Photo courtesy Stanford 20/20 for use by media. Photography credit: Mediaimran - visit his flickr photostream.

Caribbean Beat Blog was thrilled at the victory and thought it went a long way to firing up regional cricket fans who have had more than their fair share of disappointment over the last few years:

A few minutes ago, the West Indies' Stanford Superstars seized a US$20 million victory in the Stanford 20/20 Super Series from tournament favourites England – without losing a wicket!

And it was a thrashing.

The future of the nascent Stanford 20/20 form of cricket, often maligned for being an American abbreviation of the game and for several peculiarities and controversies over the last week, seems to be secure. According to its creator, Sir Allen Stanford, ‘Caribbean cricket is back! This programme is working!'

And whether playing for regional pride or the US$1 million-a-player purse, the team gave often-disappointed West Indies fans plenty to celebrate, and much to feel hopeful about.


Abeni, who was “not actively following the game” from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was “still very happy the team won”:

Given their performances as the West Indies team, I didn't really give them much of a chance but they sure rose to the occasion. My only wish is that the young men use it wisely. Too often we hear of persons who have made millions becoming destitute all because of poor financial decisions. So fellas, enjoy your windfall but live smart.


Champagne Celebration - Photo courtesy Stanford 20/20 for use by media. Photography credit: Mediaimran - visit his flickr photostream.

In the words of Caribbean Beat:

Congrats to our million dollar men!

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/11/03/caribbean-region-scores-big-in-2020-cricket/feed/ Barbados, Antigua: Digicel vs. Stanford http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/28/barbados-antigua-digicel-vs-stanford/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/28/barbados-antigua-digicel-vs-stanford/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:12:00 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=49172 The Bajan Reporter is all over the story of telecommunications giant Digicel taking Allen Stanford to court “in order to protect its sole and exclusive rights as primary sponsor of West Indies cricket”. The West Indies Cricket Board insists “that the team that will play England on 1 November represents Stanford, and Stanford alone.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/28/barbados-antigua-digicel-vs-stanford/feed/ Barbados, Antigua: Peter Pays for Paul? http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/20/barbados-antigua-peter-pays-for-paul/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/20/barbados-antigua-peter-pays-for-paul/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:33:50 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=48767 Barbados Free Press is not convinced that the CARICOM arrangement is beneficial, referring to an article about the recent double-murder in Antigua to make their point: “The ‘Caribbean Brand' for tourism…was a disastrous policy created…as part of the effort to prop up the pretense and phony benefits of CARICOM. According to the article, we’re all the same in Caribbean - violent, bloodthirsty savages - and that includes Barbados.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/20/barbados-antigua-peter-pays-for-paul/feed/ Dominica, Antigua: One Caribbean? http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/07/dominica-antigua-one-caribbean/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/07/dominica-antigua-one-caribbean/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:53:09 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=47975 Following news of the murder of a honeymooning British couple in Antigua, Danielle Jones at Dominica Weekly says: “While some of us may be inclined to brush this incident off as an Antiguan problem, in reality it has implications for the wider Caribbean. It comes just weeks after our CARICOM leaders decided to market the region jointly as part of a ‘One Caribbean’ marketing campaign.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/07/dominica-antigua-one-caribbean/feed/ Barbados: Rising Food Prices http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/18/barbados-rising-food-prices/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/18/barbados-rising-food-prices/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:47:47 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/18/barbados-rising-food-prices/ Bajan Global Report takes a look at how rising food prices are affecting various Caribbean territories.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/18/barbados-rising-food-prices/feed/ Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda: Crime Control http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/barbados-antigua-barbuda-crime-control/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/barbados-antigua-barbuda-crime-control/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:10:01 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/barbados-antigua-barbuda-crime-control/ “It is hard to believe that this is a country which spent US54 million dollars to prepare for Cricket World Cup 2007. It just makes us shake our heads and ask, where are our priorities”: Barbados Underground blogs about the crime situation in Antigua and Barbuda.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/barbados-antigua-barbuda-crime-control/feed/ Barbados: Riding the Waves? http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/20/barbados-riding-the-waves/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/20/barbados-riding-the-waves/#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:00:22 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/20/barbados-riding-the-waves/ Blogging from Barbados, Notes From The Margin reports that Eastern Caribbean territories are bracing for large waves as a result of “a deep low pressure centre that spawned tornadoes and thunderstorms across the US earlier this week.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/03/20/barbados-riding-the-waves/feed/ Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Antigua: T&T Wins 20/20 Cricket http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/25/trinidad-tobago-jamaica-antigua-tt-wins-2020-cricket/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/25/trinidad-tobago-jamaica-antigua-tt-wins-2020-cricket/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:53:46 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/25/trinidad-tobago-jamaica-antigua-tt-wins-2020-cricket/ Discover TnT Blog reports that “the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket team…last night captured the Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament in Antigua.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/25/trinidad-tobago-jamaica-antigua-tt-wins-2020-cricket/feed/ Antigua & Barbuda: 2020 Cricket http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/05/antigua-barbuda-2020-cricket/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/05/antigua-barbuda-2020-cricket/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:15:11 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/05/antigua-barbuda-2020-cricket/ Dumani, a ten-year-old Antiguan boy, is live blogging the Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament in Antigua.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/05/antigua-barbuda-2020-cricket/feed/ St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Windies Beat South Africa http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/31/st-vincent-the-grenadines-windies-beat-south-africa/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/31/st-vincent-the-grenadines-windies-beat-south-africa/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:18:59 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/31/st-vincent-the-grenadines-windies-beat-south-africa/ “This victory is so huge given the history of South African tours”: Abeni is thrilled that the West Indies cricket team have finally won a test match.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/31/st-vincent-the-grenadines-windies-beat-south-africa/feed/ Antigua: Fixing Crime http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/30/antigua-fixing-crime/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/30/antigua-fixing-crime/#comments Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:55:43 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/30/antigua-fixing-crime/ Talk Antigua thinks that crime is destroying the country “and no one seems to be doing anything about it.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/30/antigua-fixing-crime/feed/ Antigua, U.S.A.: Copyright Rights http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/24/antigua-usa-copyright-rights/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/24/antigua-usa-copyright-rights/#comments Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:40:13 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/24/antigua-usa-copyright-rights/ Both Talk Antigua and Caribbean Free Radio blog about Antigua being awarded the right to violate copyright protections on goods like films and music from the United States.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/24/antigua-usa-copyright-rights/feed/ Cuba: No Cricket http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/19/cuba-no-cricket/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/19/cuba-no-cricket/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:07:38 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/19/cuba-no-cricket/ Child of the Revolution finds something “not quite right” about the Cuban cricket team not making its international debut at the Stanford 20/20 tournament “because of the US commercial and trade embargo on the Castro regime.”

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/19/cuba-no-cricket/feed/ Trinidad & Tobago: More of the Same http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/14/trinidad-tobago-more-of-the-same/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/14/trinidad-tobago-more-of-the-same/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:41:16 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/14/trinidad-tobago-more-of-the-same/ “Does anyone actually know of any (other) company where this sort of thing happens and the persons responsible are not seriously reprimanded?” asks West Indies Cricket Blog, on hearing news of the West Indies Cricket Board's latest bungle.

]]> http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/14/trinidad-tobago-more-of-the-same/feed/ St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua: Caribbean Film http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/09/st-vincent-the-grenadines-antigua-caribbean-film/ http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/09/st-vincent-the-grenadines-antigua-caribbean-film/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:39:24 +0000 Janine Mendes-Franco http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/09/st-vincent-the-grenadines-antigua-caribbean-film/ Abeni blogs about The Sweetest Mango, “a film made and produced in Antigua”.

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