Chris Gayle (left) and Darren Sammy (right) to play against each other in opening game of Canada Global T20 tournament. Photo courtesy of Randy Brooks/Brooks LaTouche Photo
TORONTO, Canada – A match-up featuring West Indies stars and teammates Darren Sammy, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell will open the inaugural edition of Global T20 Canada as part of the schedule released Tuesday for the first professional Twenty20 cricket league in North America.
Sammy’s Toronto Nationals will face Vancouver Knights with Chris Gayle and Andre Russell on June 28 in the first match of the 22-fixture schedule that will ultimately crown a champion on July 15 at Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario, just north of Toronto.
Other schedule highlights include Australian captain Steve Smith making his league debut in the opener with Toronto and squaring off against his countrymate David Warner and Winnipeg Hawks on July 2. Canada Day long weekend will provide fans an opportunity to see all of the league’s marquee players with six matches over three days. The full schedule is attached and at www.gt20.ca/match-schedule/.
“The schedule reveal is another symbolic step towards bringing the excitement and spectacle of pro Twenty20 cricket to Canada, and making cricket and Canadian sport history,” said Gurmeet Singh, Chairman, Global T20 Canada. “With the calibre of talent coming to Canada, fans will see top international stars in every match from the opener through to the final.”
Canada Global T20 Match Schedule
Six franchise teams will vie for the championship – Toronto Nationals, Vancouver Knights, Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Winnipeg Hawks and Cricket West Indies Representative Team, comprised entirely of players from the Caribbean.
The schedule includes matches spread across two rounds and playoffs. Matches in the first round, to be played from June 28 to July 8, will be in a round-robin format with each team playing every other team once, for a total of 15 matches. Through
the first two rounds, teams will earn two points for a win and zero points for a loss. Only the top four teams advance to the playoffs.
The schedule has two matches on weekend days and holidays, with start times of 11 a.m. EST and 4 p.m. EST. Weekdays will have single matches with a 4 p.m. EST start time. Three off days are built into the schedule on July 3, 9 and 13.
“The schedule provides many opportunities for fans from all over to see many of cricket’s stars, and plan their day around Global T20 Canada,” said Jason Harper, Tournament Director, Global T20 Canada. “Creating a strong fan experience is paramount and will help build a strong foundation for the league going forward.”
Information on tickets (seating, pricing and purchasing), broadcast partners and the broadcast schedule will be announced later this week.