The announcement was made at a special media briefing held at the offices of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control, Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.

The briefing was held to launch the championships, which will bowl off throughout the Caribbean today.

The former West Indies youth captain stated that the best fast bowling prize is to encourage some of the promising young pacers in the region.

He added that in addition to incentives being offered for the best bowler, best batsman, best fieldsman and best all-rounder, there would also be an added award for the best wicketkeeper in the Carib Cup and Shield tournaments.

Murray said that Carib is bent on seeing the sport of cricket climb back to its rightful place at top of the ladder.

And this is one of the main reasons why Carib Brewery has entered into an agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board to sponsor the regional tournament for the next five years.

“We are going to sit side by side with the West Indies Cricket Board, to ensure that the development of West Indies cricket continues,” Murray said.

He said that Carib had previously sponsored the West Indies team in 1999 to the World Cup and the tour of England, and it was an easy step up to get involve in regional cricket.

“We seized the opportunity to get into West Indies cricket, because we know that cricket just like our product is a way of life in the region. Cricket and Carib fit hand in hand in the Caribbean,” Murray added.

Murray said that many incentives would be in store for the spectators at all venues in the region where the Carib matches are being contested.

Also speaking at the briefing was West Indies Test batsman and newly appointed Trinidad and Tobago four-day captain Daren Ganga.

The right-handed opener who returned from the West Indies World Cup training camp in Antigua at the weekend said his team is keen to give a good showing.

Ganga said that T&T’s first match is against Guyana, which starts today at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, and all members are fit and raring to go.

“We are a good unit, working very hard. It is time that we win this tournament and do some justice to the sponsors,” Ganga remarked.