A NORTH-EAST law firm has delighted cricket fans after guaranteeing a famous player’s involvement in a fast-paced global spectacle.

Muckle, in Newcastle, advised the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on its Caribbean Twenty 20 Cricket Tournament.

The firm’s team worked with CPL for eight months, and says it played a key role to ensure former England batsman Kevin Pietersen took part.

The 34-year-old Pietersen, who will play for the St Lucia Zouks, scored 23 test match hundreds for England before he was overlooked at the end of the last Ashes series.

The Caribbean tournament will be beamed around the world to more than 200 million people.

Muckle’s work extended past Pietersen’s involvement, stretching to advice on participation agreements for each of the event’s six franchises, as well as television production tenders and agreements.

It also advised on sponsorship agreements with international organisations, such as airlines, health care companies and soft drinks makers, with its sports team handling players' and coaches' contracts, sponsorship and image rights.

Legal advice and negotiations were led by partner John Devine and associate solicitor Stephen Green, who were part of an eight-strong team.

Tony McPhillips, who manages the CPL relationship, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Caribbean Premier League on one of cricket's highest profile global tournaments.

“Its influence extends beyond the West Indies to the US, India and Australia.

“The complexity and scale of this project meant we were often working across different time zones for long periods, including weekends, to co-ordinate with those in the West Indies and North America.

“Through our expertise in this sector, we enabled CPL to adopt a commercial approach to its negotiations and have provided effective advice and support when the CPL needed it.”

The tournament, which started earlier this month, has attracted scores of players, including West Indies’ star batsman Chris Gayle and Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal.

The teams taking part include the Antigua Hawksbills, the Jamaica Tallawahs and the Guyana Amazon Warriors.