CARICOM wants cricket changes

THE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) must make some major changes in the next few months, if they are to receive the full support of CARICOM. “Caricom has agreed to have the West Indies Cricket Board accepted as an associate member, which would mean a lot of support from the various Caribbean countries for the WICB, and it would certainly alleviate some of the financial difficulties the Board  is presently facing,” a source stated yesterday. “One direct advantage would be in the establishment of a Caribbean Lottery system which would have to receive the full support of all in the region if it is do work properly, and this would enable the West Indies Cricket Board to gain some independence from sponsors, and possibly avoid the difficulties over the last two years,” he added

However the acceptance of the West Indies as an associate member is conditional on a number of factors, foremost of which is a change in the structure of the West Indies Cricket Board. “There will have to be changes made in the governance of West Indies crickets which would involve a lot of the mechanisms for a new dispensation to be ironed out,” he stated “One major change would be related to the current constitution of West Indies cricket, which would have to be voted on by special resolutions of members,” the source said. “CARICOM is very certain in their assistance package. There must be more transparency at the West Indies Cricket Board level and there is a need to restore credibility by the appointment of independent directors,” he said.

“That is the only way the West Indies Board can go forward and the President ( Ken Gordon)  realises this and is determined to have this matter addressed so we can expect changes soon,” he noted. The West Indies Cricket Board also has another related problem, in that they are currently under capitalised, with only $17 of share capital in their Balance Sheet, which consist of each of the six territorial boards having two votes, plus the President and vice President.

The remaining three votes are non-voting and belong to the West Indies Players’ Association, West Indies Umpires Association, and the Women’s Cricket Federation. “If the West Indies Cricket Board is to properly make investments from the Cricket World Cup profits, then these changes must come sooner rather than later,” he concluded speaking from Barbados. There is a Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Trinidad later this week where this development and other matters related to West Indies cricket will be discussed.