Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have jointly unveiled THE 6IXTY, a new 60-ball tournament, which will be played between August 24 and 28 at Warner Park in St Kitts & Nevis.
The inaugural edition of THE 6IXTY is expected to feature men’s and women’s teams competing in a new set of playing conditions, it was announced on Wednesday.
As per the rules, each batting team will be considered all-out at the fall of the sixth wicket. They’ll have two Power Play overs with fielding restrictions, and can unlock a third if they hit two sixes in the first 12 balls of the innings. This extra over of PowerPlay may be taken between overs 3-9.
The other rules say that the bowling side will bowl 30 balls (five overs) from one end before switching to the other for the second half and no bowler will be allowed to bowl more than two overs in the innings.
Meanwhile, in a bid to keep the games racy and fast-paced, bowling teams will be punished for not bowling their overs in time. As a punishment, a member of the defaulting team will be taken off the field for the final six balls.
Moreover, Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler.
Commenting on the development, Ricky Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies, said: “THE 6IXTY has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward. I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans.”
On the other hand, Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game. There will be world-class men’s and women’s cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean.”
“This combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket,” he added.