PORT OF SPAIN – Hollywood actor Gerard Butler has said his involvement with the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was for the long term after he arrived in Trinidad to watch the climax of the inaugural event.
Scottish-born Butler, whose list of movie credits includes 300, Reign of Fire and Olympus Has Fallen, has secured an equity stake in the Jamaica Tallawahs, and ahead of his side’s semi-final clash with the Barbados Tridents, confirmed his desire to remain involved as the tournament goes from strength to strength.
“Absolutely (it is a long-term commitment),” he said. “I did not do this just to be in it for a couple of weeks. I did it because I hope this new league is a long-term league and that it keeps going and keeps building.?So it is an investment you hope will build, but also (because) it is an excuse to come out here (to the Caribbean) to a place I love.”
Butler is one of several high-profile names to become involved in the CPL with fellow actor Mark Wahlberg taking an equity stake in the Barbados Tridents, while Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is involved with the Antigua Hawksbills and is also a tournament sponsor.
“A bit of rivalry (with Mark Wahlberg)?” Butler asked rhetorically. “Absolutely. At one point, we were going to invest in the same team and then we thought it would be better to keep it separate – ‘You take Barbados and I will go with Jamaica.’
“He recently tweeted ‘We are unbeaten’ and I wanted to tweet back ‘Not anymore, because we took you down (with a six-wicket win at Sabina Park on 17 August).’
“We have had a laugh about it and I am so glad he got involved in this as well and I think more will follow without it becoming ridiculous. I think Hollywood will take more of an interest in this and, hopefully, around the world.”
The 43-year-old actor said his involvement with the tournament began with a conversation with friend Ajmal Khan, founder and chairman of the CPL.
Butler attended Thursday night’s first semi-final between the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel and the Guyana Amazon Warriors, a match won by the Warriors by seven wickets, and he said he could see immediately why the tournament has taken off. (PR)