WICB president insists regional cricket will benefit from new ICC structure

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) -- President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron has given the assurance that the regional side will benefit more as a result of the recent changes in the governance structure of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Cameron has insisted that the regional team will be playing more cricket over the next eight years as a result of the changes.

The WICB was one of eight full members of the ICC to vote in favour of the new proposal which was approved at the ICC Board meeting in Singapore earlier this month.

“The amended key principles that cover governance, financing and structure will allow the game to grow and develop the game in the Caribbean and in the Americas far more robustly and vigorously,” Cameron told a news conference in Trinidad on Monday.

“We can inform you as well that the WICB have already secured commitments from the major countries to play an increased number of matches and series over the next eight years.”

Cameron however could not give details of the future tours and home series.

However he explained that the new financing proposals will allow the WICB to negotiate, on a bilateral basis, tours to other countries from which it will earn direct revenue.

“Currently, the West Indies have the most unfavourable matches based on the Future Tours Programme (FTP) and you would notice that we have been playing Bangladesh and New Zealand every year for the last two or three years and that is why the WICB is set to have a massive deficit at the end of our financial year which ends in September,” the WICB president added.

“The new proposals will allow the WICB to increase the number of profitable tours it hosts while decreasing the amount of unprofitable tours it is obliged to host under the FTP. The WICB will be able to negotiate fees when the West Indies team plays in an away series”.

ICC's new governance and structure would see India, Australia and England at the helm of a two tier system with teams including the West Indies relegated to second tier.