BARBADOS: The 2023 season of the Caribbean Premier League will be played across five countries in the Caribbean from August 17 to September 24. Compared to the five venues that hosted matches last season across four countries – there were two venues in Trinidad & Tobago — this year’s CPL will also have matches played in Barbados; the island wasn’t in the schedule last time. The CPL will start with defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs taking on St Lucia Kings in Saint Lucia before the action moves to St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, before concluding in Guyana. All venues will host six games each. The venues in Trinidad & Tobago are yet to be named, while there will be no games in Jamaica this time too. The Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia will kick-off the first leg of matches, from August 16 to 20, with the home side playing four of the six games. Warner Park in St Kitts & Nevis will be the next venue for the games from August 23 to 27, with four matches for the home team – St Kitts & Nevis Patriots – there. Barbados’ Kensington Oval will host the next leg, for the first time since 2019, from August 30 to September 3, with home side Barbados Royals playing four of the matches. The tournament will then move to Trinidad & Tobago for games from September 5 to 10, again with four matches for the home team, Trinbago Knight Riders. Guyana will host the final leg from September 13 to 24, including the playoffs and the final from September 19 to 24. “We are very pleased that the tournament will be staged in five countries in 2023,” Pete Russell, the CPL CEO, said in a statement. “As ever, the CPL is a chance for fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket. And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.” For the third consecutive year, the CPL will overlap with the Hundred, the 100-balls-a-side competition in England that runs from August 1 to August 27 this year. At this stage, Sunil Narine is the only West Indian men’s player who will be involved in both competitions; he is expected to play around five games for Oval Invincibles before leaving for the CPL.