I am very happy for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, the new champions of the Caribbean Premier League. They have been one of the underachieving franchises over the last few years, so to see them finally go all the way and lift the title is a terrific achievement. 

There is also an interesting connection with their coach, Paul Nixon. He is one of the more experienced coaches who has been coming out to the Caribbean, and he was previously the coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs. There is a certain irony in that because the Jamaican franchise was back in the final this time. Nixon’s association with the Caribbean goes back to 2013, when he was with Jamaica and Christopher Henry Gayle was their captain. Jamaica won the inaugural season, and now, fast forward to season 14, Nixon is at the helm of Antigua and Barbuda. 

Nixon has been with the franchise for the last couple of years, and he has built a strong group around him. Sir Curtly Ambrose, another great name in West Indies cricket, is the bowling coach and mentor. It is always good to catch up with those guys on the circuit. It is pleasing to see them enjoy 

this kind of success. 

From the perspective of the final itself, I think the toss had quite a significant bearing on how the match eventually played out. Having recently been there for the start of the playoffs, I felt that the conditions at Barbados were important, particularly for a night game beginning at around 7pm. The dew factor came into play, and it really did have an impact. 

The conditions meant that teams batting first needed to put up a substantial total. If you did not get close to 200, or at least into the 190s, you could find yourself under serious pressure. The surface in Barbados is not the quickest, and the bounce can also be a little variable. Those conditions meant that the spinners could play a very important role. 

That was evident in the final as well. The spinners had a massive say in the outcome of the match. Shadab Khan ended up being named player of the tournament, while Sufyan Moqim was the player of the final. Moqim produced an outstanding spell, taking four wickets for just 14 runs. His performance was particularly important as he helped dismantle the Jamaican Kingsmen batting line-up. 

The Kingsmen had struggled to build any sort of substantial partnership after Maaz Sadaqat’s dismissal. It was not that long ago that Maaz Sadaqat had scored a century, having made 114 from just 58 balls towards the end of the round-robin stage before the playoffs. That innings included nine sixes and eight fours. But in the final, he was effectively the lone ranger for much of the innings. 

Apart from Maaz Sadaqat, there was very little contribution from the rest of the batting order. Saim Ayub scored 29 from 22 balls, but the scorecard after that looked rather sorry. Kirk McKenzie got out for a duck while Keacy Carty managed only nine. Rovman Powell was also dismissed for a zero. Romaine Morris, the wicketkeeper, could not open his account as well, while Hassan Khan made just one. 

Andre Russell and Keemo Paul could not make the kind of impact the team would have wanted. Paul scored only three, while Andre Russell had to slide down the batting order and eventually came in at number nine. He could manage only two runs. For a batting line-up of that quality, a total of 170 for nine was always going to leave them vulnerable. 

Antigua and Barbuda, meanwhile, had the kind of batting line-up capable of taking advantage of the conditions. Rahkeem Cornwall, the big fellow who can

attack inside the powerplay, provided an important start. He scored 20 from just six balls, doing exactly what was required of him. 

Evin Lewis, the experienced left-hander who spent a long time with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, also played an important role. Lewis scored 38 from 26 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes. His contribution helped give Antigua the platform they needed in the chase. 

But for me, the biggest standout in the chase was Amir Jangoo. Jangoo produced a superb unbeaten 57, hitting three sixes and four fours. His strike rate was around 168, and his innings came at a crucial stage of the chase. 

What made his performance even more impressive was the fact that Jangoo had not really been among the standout performers during the round-robin stage of CPL 2026. He had produced the occasional contribution, scoring 20s and 30s here and there, but he had not consistently been among the major performers. Yet Antigua continued to back him and kept him in a pivotal position at number three. 

That faith was rewarded when it mattered most. 

Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz, who finished unbeaten on 47, became the mainstays of the chase. They controlled the innings beautifully and built on the platform established by Cornwall and Evin Lewis. Rather than allowing the pressure of a final to build, they kept the chase under control and ensured that Antigua remained comfortably ahead of the required rate. 

The result was a comprehensive victory. Antigua and Barbuda reached 173 for two in just 16.4 overs, leaving 20 balls unused. To chase down the target with more than three overs to spare in a CPL final is a very convincing performance. 

A lot of credit also has to go to Paul Nixon. He is a very thorough coach and someone who is quite emotional and expressive. He wears his heart on his sleeve and puts a lot into his preparation. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to connect with players, lift them and make them feel good about the role they have been given. 

That is such an important part of coaching. A coach has to work with the entire squad, but particularly with the 11 or 12 players who are likely to be involved in a match. They need to feel confident about themselves, understand their roles and believe that they can deliver when the pressure is at its highest. 

Nixon appears to have created that environment at Antigua. He has been able to get the players together and make them believe in themselves and in the team. That collective belief is often what separates a good side from one that can actually go on to win a tournament. 

The success is particularly significant for the Antigua franchise because they have been under pressure as a franchise and have had to fight to establish themselves. The involvement of the great Sir Vivian Richards also added something special to their campaign. Richards came out for some of their matches during the latter part of the league stage in Antigua. 

The stadium itself carries his name, the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, so there is an obvious connection between the franchise, the island and one of the greatest legends of West Indies cricket. From that perspective too, it is particularly pleasing to see Antigua and Barbuda finally get their hands on the CPL title. 

They were also a fairly consistent outfit throughout the season. They finished in the top two, coming second, and then managed to overcome the Warriors and progress to the final. Their route to the title was not

necessarily the easiest, but they kept finding ways to win and eventually got the job done when it mattered most. 

So, overall, it is a huge thumbs-up for the Falcons. They deserve plenty of credit for the way they performed throughout the season, but particularly for how they handled the final. Their bowlers made the most of the conditions, their top order gave them a strong platform, and Jangoo and Nawaz ensured that the chase was completed with plenty to spare. 

Most importantly, it is a reward for a franchise that has not had the success it would have wanted in recent years. Paul Nixon and his coaching staff have clearly created a group that believes in itself, and the players delivered when the biggest opportunity arrived.