International Masters Cricket Tournament goes to a new level

THE 2025 EDITION of the Independence International Masters Cricket Tournament set for October, 24 to November 1, 2025 here in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), will be taken to a new level.

This, as the organisers have pencilled in a West Indian Masters XI versus the Rest of the World, with the latter comprising the best of the best players emerging from the Festival Division of the tournament.

Set to culminate the nine days of cricket, Vincentians and other cricket lovers who are in SVG during that time will get the opportunity to see some former West Indies players, who represented the region in either Test, One day internationals, Twenty/ 20 Internationals or in more than one format.

Among them are Sir Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ridley Jacobs, Philo Wallace, Sherwin Campbell, Dwaine Smith, Mervyn Dillon, Dave Mohammed, Pedro Collins, Stuart Williams and Sulieman Benn.

They will team up with the former Vincentian and West Indies quintet of Ian Allen, Nixon Mc Lean, Deighton Butler, Kenroy Peters and Kesrick Williams.

The match takes place at 7:00 p.m under the lights on November, 1.

Prior to that much anticipated match will be the Fete Division, and the Festival Division final.

The International Masters Cricket Tournament which started in 2017 and coincided with the opening of the Argyle International Airport, was conceptualised as a revenue earning mechanism with Sports-Tourism being the conduit.

Hence, with this year’s edition attracting 15 teams from overseas added to the six local outfits, is realizing that objective.

The tournament, coupled with the usual influx of bikers from the region is projected to net financial benefits for St Vincent and the Grenadines in excess of $1 million.

That is the estimated financial returns said Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, Carlos James, when he addressed persons at the media launch on Monday, October 20, 2025 at the President’s Suite at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

“ We are talking in excess of a million dollars in revenue generation and this is not revenue generation to the state; revenue generation for persons in the hotel sector; persons who are running bars, food and beverage, restaurants; persons who are doing catering , entertainers, performers, musicians, production crew; persons who are involved in entertainment and sports, administrators, umpires, grounds men. These are revenues that are sent directly into the pockets of taxi operators ”.

Apart from James, Minister of Sports Dr. Orando Brewster; Minister of Education and National Reconciliation- Curtis King; Manager of the National Sports Council, Nixon Mc Lean; along with Chief Executive Officer of the SVG Tourism Authority, Annette Mark; and former Minister of government, Cecil Mc Kie made addresses at the media launch.