Holding, known for his strident criticism of the shortest form of the game, said the CPL was special as it had the potential to give birth to a new generation of professional cricketers in the Caribbean.

He has signed on as the ambassador for the development programme. “I think cricket has lost a lot of young people in the Caribbean who are thinking ‘why bother with cricket because unless you are playing for the West Indies then there is nothing there for you’,” said the former pacer who took 249 wickets in 60 Tests.