CPL Hall of Fame award named after Sobers

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced that the trophy presented annually to the player inducted into its Hall of Fame will be officially named the Sir Garry Sobers Award, in tribute to the man widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder West Indies cricket has ever produced.

The move follows the recent launch of the CPL Hall of Fame, which will honour two inductees each year, one player and one off-field contributor.

Dwayne Bravo and Ian Bishop were confirmed as the inaugural inductees, and the CPL has now secured the blessing of the Sobers family to attach Sir Garry’s name to the award, in what it described as one of the most significant moments in the league’s history.

One of the finest cricketers the game has produced and a defining figure in West Indies cricket, Sir Garry lends the award a prestige and history befitting the Hall of Fame it represents.

The Sir Garry Sobers Award will be presented for the first time at the CPL Hall of Fame Gala Dinner on Tuesday, September 15, at the Hilton Barbados.

The event is being held in support of the Sir Clive Lloyd Healthcare Foundation’s prostate cancer awareness, testing and early-detection initiatives across the Caribbean.

With the trophy now carrying Sir Garry’s name, the gala will bring together two of the most respected figures in West Indies cricket for a showcase evening in support of the region.

Pete Russell, CPL’s chief executive officer, said: “Sir Garry Sobers was, without question, the greatest all-rounder the game has ever seen, and having his name on this award means a great deal to everyone at CPL. We are enormously grateful to the Sobers family for trusting us with his name and his legacy. It gives this trophy, and this Hall of Fame, a weight our players will carry with real pride. To present it for the first time at a gala dinner in support of Sir Clive Lloyd’s Healthcare Foundation makes September 15 an even more prestigious night for West Indies cricket.”