Repositioning West Indies Cricket
Across St Vincent and the Grenadines, our sport-loving people are celebrating the three-match T20 series between our West Indies cricket team and Bangladesh, that concluded yesterday, Thursday 19 December. The celebrations come as the country joins the rest of the world in preparing for the festive Christmas season but also against the backdrop of a continued increase in crime and violence and the negative impact that this is having on our people. The series has come at a time when the majority of Vincentians experience much frustration from the state of the Vincentian economy, our declining healthcare delivery system and a general malaise about the quality of life, more generally, in our beloved country.
On Sunday 15 December 2024, thousands, eager for some respite from a largely humdrum experience, journeyed to the Arnos Vale sports arena to witness the first match in the three-match series and they had a most memorable time enjoying the excitement that only sport can bring. By the time the match was over, even with our team having been defeated, the attendees were truly sated. Of course, they were disappointed that West Indies did not win but generally, that was not the primary discussion amongst patrons. Instead, for the first time in years, they were heartened by Cricket West Indies’ continuing transformation as evidenced by the broader entertainment package to which they were so well introduced prior to the commencement of the first match.
Vincentians were all over the Arnos Vale arena on Sunday last, with some seats in the double decker stands unoccupied and the Party Stand without a party, now seeming something of a misnomer. The crowd was very involved in the proceedings, giving tremendous to the lone Vincentian on the team, McCoy, who rose to the occasion, acknowledging the home crowd support throughout the match.
Unfortunately, and much to the disappointment of Vincentians, to say nothing of Caribbean cricket aficionados, the West Indies team lost the T20 series against Bangladesh after their resounding defeat of their opponents in the earlier test and one-day series respectively.
Cricket West Indies may well now hold the view that St Vincent and the Grenadines is once more appreciative of international matches being played here going forward, a feature that can only redound to the benefit of the sport here at home and at the regional level.
Important CWI announcements
Another impressive piece of Cricket West Indies history was the meeting of the Board in St Vincent and the Grenadines ahead of the start of the T20 series against Bangladesh. This was the first time that the CWI had convened in St Vincent and the Grenadines. This phenomenon is in large measure due to the leadership of Kishor Shallow, president of CWI, himself a very proud Vincentian.
There is a tendency amongst our Caribbean people to turn a blind eye to leadership that works in areas other than government. Our image as a small nation extends well beyond the country’’ short term on the UN Security Council or the Presidency of CELAC, which are government achievements. We ignore at our peril, the ascension of Vincentians to leadership positions in other areas of endeavour that keep the Vincentian flag flying with gay abandon.
Shallow’s achievement to the presidency of CWI has allowed the international sporting fraternity, well beyond the sport of cricket, to acknowledge that the size of a nation is not an inhibiting factor when it comes to the production of leaders.
More importantly, at its press conference held at Beachcombers Hotel on Monday 16 December 2024, CWI made several critically important announcements that signal the achievement of several transformational strategic steps undertaken by the organisation.
Governance
At the press conference, Shallow explained that he was confident that this far in his tenure as president, CWI can now confidently speak to the stability of its governance and the building of bridges within the organisation, a feature that aids with the level of regional and international respectability it has garnered in the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Shallow spoke of the shared commitment of the membership of CWI to governance reform which is continuing and having positive impact on the organisation.
In many respects the enhanced governance of CWI is reflected in the overwhelming success and professionalism that characterised the organisation’s hosting of the most rewarding ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year with matches held in the USA and the Caribbean, including St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In response to a question on governance in individual member countries, Shallow indicated that what is being done at the Board level for CWI is intended to positively inform and assist member federations to ensure compliance with the fundamental practices associated with good governance, generally, and the sport of cricket in particular.
Financial stability and new initiative
CWI now boasts of a level of financial stability of which the institution is very proud. Some may suggest that this is a novel feature under the current administration.
In early November 2024, CWI entered into a package for the broadcast rights with the ESPN Caribbean through to 2030 ‘for all men’s and women’s West Indies national team home matches…and the regional domestic 50-overs competition’. This is part of CWI’s push for generating revenue going forward.
At the press conference on Monday last, CWI moved a step further when Shallow signed an agreement with Robert Washington of Caribbean Cage for the commencement of operations of a regional lottery for CWI. Caribbean Cage has several years of experience with lotteries in the Caribbean, especially in Barbados.
According to Washington, the likely revenue generation of the operations for CWI in the first 10 years would be in the vicinity of $100m. This is a new initiative.
Some may recall, however, that years ago, under the leadership of Julian Hunte, a lottery was established to facilitate the development of cricket in the Windward Islands. Eventually, that floundered, and the governments opted to engage Canadian Bank Note International (CBNI) to assist with the transition to national lotteries in the individual islands as well as a subregional lottery.
The establishment of the CWI lottery initiative comes after careful planning and a host of negotiations. is to gradually shift the operations of CWI towards financial self-sufficiency and sustainability over time. Without this being undertaken CWI will find itself unable to offer a viable development plan that benefits the sport in the Caribbean.
The announcement of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the personage of Chris Dehring, who was once engaged by CWI as Managing Director and CEO of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, working with former President of CWI, Pat Rosseau.
The current Board patiently sought for an individual with the requisite skill sets and professional experience in technology and sport development that CWI needs a at this historical period. Shallow and his Board appear confident that Dehring fits the bill.
There is a since in which CWI feels comfortable that its approach to marketing would yield significant financial rewards for the organisation to better facilitate an aggressive development strategy.
President Shallow is quoted as stating, ‘Consistent with the priority to recruit exceptional leadership to drive our mission forward, Chris Dehring represents the best of the best—an innovator, strategist, business magnate and passionate advocate for West Indies cricket. His return as an executive at West Indies cricket signals the dawn of an exciting new era as we work to reclaim our position as a dominant force in world cricket.’
For his part, the CWI news release quotes Dehring as saying, ‘West Indies cricket has always held a special place in my heart. As a unifying force and a symbol of pride for our region, I am honoured to return to an organization that holds great significance to our people. Together with the CWI team and stakeholders, I am committed to driving innovation, fostering talent, and reigniting the passion for West Indies cricket, both at home and globally.’
Shallow stated that Dehring commences his role as CEO effective 1 February 2025.
T20 Domestic League
Another CWI announcement was the commencement of a domestic T20 League in April – May 2025/.
Given that the ICC has agreed with the Organising Committee of LA2028 Games, for the T20 version of the sport will be the competition format, CWI has to begin preparing national teams for the qualifiers that are necessary to access a place in Los Angeles. In this regard, therefore, the introduction of the domestic T20 League will constitute the ideal competition at this time.
CWI is therefore appropriately actioning a strategy to get Caribbean teams accustomed to a competition which will allow our players to become more proficient in the short format of the game in a timely manner.
Sammy’s climb
Darren Sammy will, at the. Beginning of 2025 be contracted as the West Indies Coach for all formats of the game in the region. The Board indicated that it is satisfied that Sammy has proven his worth and his capacity to build unity amongst the current players augurs well for the future.
For his part Sammy, rather demurely, stated his commitment to the sport in the region and his eagerness to available himself of any opportunity to be at its service.
Conclusion
CWI believes that at present it is on course to bring a new impetus to all aspects of the developmental requirements of the sport in the region, consistent with a long-term strategic plan designed for sustained progress over time.
The confidence of Shallow has clearly been taken seriously by all of the Board, having formed themselves into a strongly knit body of dedicated professionals. This is not to say that there are not numerous challenges yet to be overcome in CWI. What appears to be on the cards is a very strong commitment to continuing to strive after excellence in all aspects of the CWI’s mandate.
Sunday’s defeat before an exciting Vincentian crowd of cricket lovers did not resonate well with the patrons, after the convincing victors of the regional team in the test and one-day series respectively.
The week of cricket in St Vincent and the Grenadines is something of an important spark that offers light in and through the proverbial tunnel. CWI has to build upon this important flashpoint in the longer, more sustainable developmental journey.
