Wah gwaan cricket fans! After nearly 700 days of waiting, regional first-class cricket finally return to di Caribbean. The West Indies four-day Championship set to bowl off on February 9, marking a major moment for cricket in the region.

Di 2019-20 season did cut short by Covid-19 after just eight rounds, with Barbados crowned champions. The 2020-21 edition couldn't happen at all due to logistics, so dis return after almost two years a big, big deal.

Planning and Preparation Behind Di Comeback

Johnny Grave, CWI chief executive, explain seh six months of "detailed planning" mek di competition possible. "We know the teams have been putting in hours of hard work in the nets, patiently waiting for the matches to be confirmed and are looking forward to being back on the field and entertaining their fans," him seh.

Jimmy Adams, CWI's director of cricket, emphasize how critical dis competition is: "This competition plays a critical role in our player-development pathway. After almost two years, we are delighted to have our regional players back playing competitively in this format."

Fixtures and Format

The first two rounds of the tournament will be played exclusively in Barbados and Trinidad. Di final three rounds will follow in May, with each team playing each other once.

First-round fixtures (February 9-12):

• Barbados vs Leeward Islands (Kensington Oval)
• Windward Islands vs Guyana (Queen's Park Oval)
• Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica (Brian Lara Cricket Academy)

England Test Selection: The Real Subplot

Plenty eyes will be pon early-season performances, as Desmond Haynes, the new lead selector, will be looking for players to pick for March's Test series against England. Haynes already show with Kemar Roach's ODI recall that him nuh fraid fi mek bold calls.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

Barbados (Defending Champions)

Kraigg Brathwaite will lead Barbados in their title defence, though dem missing several players due to the white-ball tour of India. Key points:

• Shane Dowrich returns to professional cricket after 14 months absence
• Chemar Holder and Jomel Warrican in contention for England series selection

Leeward Islands

Captain Jahmar Hamilton will lead dem at Kensington Oval:

• Rahkeem Cornwall is their key bowler, looking to impress selectors
• Kieran Powell could be in frame after Test recall last year

Guyana (Now Harpy Eagles)

Former champions (five in a row from 2014-15 to 2018-19) look strong on paper:

• Two reliable left-arm spinners: Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul
• Seamers Nial Smith and Keemo Paul have shown promise
• Tagenarine Chanderpaul (Shivnarine's son) always draws interest
• Shimron Hetmyer included after recovering from illness - Haynes say: "Hetmyer is in our plans - there is no question about it"

Windward Islands

Led by Kavem Hodge and featuring West Indies Under-19 batters Ackeem Auguste and Teddy Bishop.

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica

This match at Brian Lara Academy ground in Tarouba features:

• Jayden Seales (20-year-old fast bowler with 4 Tests) playing first red-ball game for T&T
• Jeremy Solozano recovered from concussion suffered on debut
• Joshua Da Silva and Shannon Gabriel also involved
• Jamaica's Jermaine Blackwood (leading run-scorer in 2019-20) expected to score big
• Captain John Campbell hoping for Test recall after year out of national team

Why Dis Tournament Matters

Young players in the Caribbean have had limited competitive opportunities, mostly just 'best vs best' games before Test series. This championship provides the proper competitive environment needed for development and for players to push for selection.

With the England Test series coming up in March, every run, every wicket, and every performance in these four-day games will be under microscope. Selectors looking for players weh can stand up to the English challenge, and dis tournament is where dem can mek their case.

Cricket fans across the Caribbean, unuh ready! After two long years, real four-day cricket is back, and di stakes couldn't be higher. Time fi see who will step up and who will get the nod for the England series.