Hall credited with $$ profit

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is expected to report their first financial success in the last five years. This information has been revealed by a source close to the beleagured regional cricket body. Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall became the president of the WICB at a time when the figures were in the red but he has been able in short time to change their fortunes. “When Wes Hall was appointed, there was a reported US $7.6 million loss and the next year in 2002, the total was reduced to US $2.1 million. And this year so far, the result based on preliminary figures is a profit of US $2.5 million, and the forecast for the next three years is more profit with stringent management,” declared a source close to the West Indies Cricket Board. “The financial windfall however is having a negative fallout creating a fight for power among the various regional organisations as people are witnessing first hand how the West Indies Cricket Board can be profitable if it is efficiently cut and certain expenses reduced,” he said. “There are some persons who believe that the World Cup in 2007 was brought to the region by then Jamaican-led WICB and that for this reason, a Jamaican should run West Indies cricket at this juncture, while others see this as grab for money.

“But there is also a fear among the current executive that this would destroy the unity of West Indies cricket and its progress at the moment, as there is currently no Jamaican on the executive,” he said. The current WICB executive comprises of Val Banks  (Acting President, Leeward Islands), Chetram Singh (Guyana), Richard De Souza (Trinidad and Tobago) and Stephen Alleyne (Barbados). Their term ends in July 2004. It was also learnt that the WICB do not expect to make as much profit as before from overseas tours. “Despite the obvious popularity of the West Indies cricket team, on a tour match fees are now fixed by the ICC, so that the WICB only get US$62,000 per Test match and US $25,000 per one-dayer, which alone cannot even pay the players’ salaries, travel arrangements much less for any incidentals,” he stated. “If you look at it, we will play four Test matches and seven one-dayers in South Africa, and that sort of money will not pay the way for the team and other expenses,” he said