by HAYDN GILL in Antigua

THE HUGE INVESTMENT into Caribbean cricket by Sir Allen Stanford will trigger a resurgence of the glory days.

That prediction is coming from Daren Ganga, captain of the Trinidad and Tobago team that clinched the second Stanford 20/20 tournament and the US$1 million grand prize here Sunday night.

"This has brought about a lot of interest in cricket. A lot more players are keen to do well. They are getting the exposure internationally from tournaments like these. It's going to bring along the next generation of West Indian cricketers," Ganga said.

"We have to understand that it's not going to happen overnight. Our cricket is not going to get back to No. 1 status overnight. It's going to take time."

Sir Allen, originator and financier of the popular tournament that has captured the imagination across the globe, has pumped close to US$4 million in prize money during the first two competitions and the cricket associations of the 20 participating teams have also been given generous sums of money to aid the development of the game.

"The interest by Mr Stanford and what he is doing for cricket in the Caribbean is going to pay dividends, probably not in the next year or two, but five years down the line," Ganga said,

"He will probably be the guy who inspired one of the greatest West Indian players to play ten years from now."

In addition to the attractive sum offered in the competition, Sir Allen has launched an initiative to create 20 professional teams around the region.

Four teams – Antigua and Barbuda, Nevis, St Lucia and Anguilla – already have professional units and others will come on board in the coming months in a move that Ganga has highly praised.

"With the advent of all these pro teams, you find that there is a lot of time dedicated to cricket by young players. That is something that was lacking in the Caribbean," Ganga said.

"We lacked that professional aspect in terms of a player being able to focus solely on his cricket and not being able to worry about a 9 to 5 job where he can provide for himself and his family.

"It is going to bring around a more professional approach to the game and it is going to help improve players."