T&T brand not for Red Steel

Forget Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.
From now on, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket team from the twin-island republic will be known only as the Red Steel.
In what could be considered the 2014 tournament’s first controversy, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Sport Anil Roberts on Saturday denied the team’s use of the term Trinidad and Tobago ahead of its Red Steel name, saying such was reserved only for Trinidad citizens or Trinidad teams consisting only of Trinidadian representatives.
“The CPL, as a private organisation engaging in a for-profit enterprise, builds team franchises that may consist of nationals from countries across the globe, based in a particular country.
“The CPL does not meet the criteria stated above and therefore cannot include the use of our beloved country’s [name] to distinguish their Red Steel franchise,” Roberts said in a statement released Saturday night.
“So the position is clear, and will continue to be clear for centuries to come, that the brand Trinidad and Tobago is owned by a sovereign nation and can only be attached to teams that are 100 per cent comprised and representative of citizens of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
“During several meetings held with leaders of the CPL, they accepted their error in using the name Trinidad and Tobago during the 2013 tournament. The CEO clearly understood the argument made by the minister and removed the name Trinidad and Tobago from all branding and signage representing the locally-based franchise in the 2014 CPL,” the minister added.
But Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo isn’t a happy camper about Roberts’ ministerial intervention.
“When the players found out, they were really upset and they could not understand the move behind this. I am personally going to continue to use T&T Red Steel and if I get into trouble for that, I will deal with it then,” the outspoken West Indies player said during a Press conference after the opening match of the tournament in Grenada last Friday night.
Roberts, in defending his decision, said nowhere in the world were sport franchises given country names.
“The IPL, the NBA, the EPL, the NFL and all other franchises carry the name of the city or region, like Mumbai Indians, Boston Celtics, Manchester United, New Orleans Saints,” Roberts added. (BA/PR)