Unfortunately, the Barbados Cricket Association [BCA] and the Guyanese Cricket Board [GCB] opted out of the CWI meeting to address the Wehby Report on Governance Reform 2020 recommendations. Their attendance would have allowed them to ventilate their issues on the report's recommendations and stand firm if the discussions did not sway their positions.
Additionally, had they not supported the report’s recommendations after attending the meeting, it would have provided them with credibility to air their concerns publicly, showing the pros and cons of their action and the final decisions of the CWI for which they are members.
The issue of governance of West Indies cricket has been a perennial cause of concern for players, fans, and CARICOM. The governance problem was a dominant theme of the two-day CARICOM meeting earlier this year in T&T. One of the major complaints over the years has been the failure of the CWI to implement the recommendations of several reports before the Wehby Report. Therefore, it is shocking that some board members are shying away from the forum to discuss the governance of West Indies cricket.
The stalemate comes when more needs to be done to reinvigorate the game in the region. The men's team product in Tests, ODIs, and T20s has fallen off, especially when playing against top nations such as Australia, England, India, and South Africa. Likewise, the women’s team
lags behind the top five—Australia, England, India, South Africa, and New Zealand—albeit the team surprised many in reaching the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World in 2024. Fans no longer attend matches, a far cry from what was obtained until the late 1990s into the 2000s when the West Indies brand was dominant and formidable.
If an optimised governance structure cannot be found, the product will continue to be negatively affected. In a period when cricket has sporting and non-sporting options, the confidence of the major stakeholders—players, fans, and sponsors—will continue to decline.
Such a reality will give credence to the call by former Chair of the ICC, Greg Barclay, who highlighted the financial plight of West Indies cricket, where the West Indies will receive less than a 5 percent share of the ICC earnings for 2024-27.
Barclay said, “You look at the West Indies; I love what they’ve done for the game, but is the West Indies in its current form sustainable?” “Is it time for them to break into each of their islands?“ The thing is, can they (the West Indies) afford to (continue to play Test cricket)? They can barely balance their books now.
If Barclay’s comments are to be banished as an option, the administrators of West Indies cricket have to wake up and smell the coffee. The rich history of men's and women’s cricket will celebrate monumental landmarks in the next four [4] years. West Indies women will celebrate 50 years of existence in 1976, and West Indies men will celebrate 100 years of test status in 2028.
Hopefully, the governance issues will not overshadow the stellar achievements of those who created a stellar, enviable world brand. If necessary, ring the wheel of change for the benefit of West Indies cricket at the CWI and territorial levels.
