Panel demands dissolution of WICB
Published: Guardian
Thursday, November 5, 2015
KINGSTON—A report on the state of West Indies cricket is strongly recommending the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Cricket sources with knowledge of the
The five member Cricket Review Panel appointed by the CARICOM Sub-committee of Cricket Governance, is recommending the appointment of an interim board to run the affairs of the sport in the region.
The report, which was made public during a live news conference in Grenada yesterday calls for a the creation of a new governance and management structure for cricket in the region as well as a new set of criteria for the selection of the management and board members of WICB.
Meantime , President of WICB Dave Cameron has promised a “full response†to the report.
For the new few days the Guardian will publish the full report through a series of publications.
Full Report of the CARICOM Cricket Review Panel
<A.Overview>
This final Report of the CARICOM Cricket Review Panel is the outcome of three months of consultation, interviews, deliberations, and meetings by a five member panel of CARICOM citizens appointed by the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket. The composition of the panel, its terms of reference and the list of interviewees are presented in Appendices I – III. The main mandate of the Panel was to review the administrative and governance structure of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and submit its recommendation through the CARICOM Secretary-General to the Chairman of the Cricket Governance Committee, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada. This is the Panel’s submission.
<B.Introduction: The Existing Governance Structure>
Caribbean societies and the West Indies game of cricket have changed drastically since the origins of the latter in its organized, competitive form in the British colonial Caribbean, in the mid to late nineteenth century. In the twenty-first century, the game of cricket is now embedded in the global, corporate world of business. Caribbean people continue to experience excitement or despair about what happens on every field of play, to agonize about the fortunes, successes, failures or foibles of the West Indies teams; but Caribbean cricket is far more than the public’s support and consumption of West Indies cricket.
Cricket today constitutes a global, multi-billion dollar social and economic enterprise. The responsibility for delivery of this product at the present time, given the corporate structure of the WICB, falls to the shareholders, comprised of the six territorial boards, and the overarching, regional West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The shareholders of West Indies cricket, led by the WICB, however, rely on the active involvement of other stakeholders of the game to deliver its product. These include several Caribbean governments who finance the construction and maintenance of the stadia where the game is played; several important industries such as tourism, aviation and food and beverages; former players, some of whom constitute an elite group of exemplary ambassadors of the game known as the Legends and the current players, both women and men, and their representative organization, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) constitute another key group of stakeholders. Finally, the Caribbean public completes the stakeholder community on which the delivery of the public good of West Indies Cricket depends.
In spite of substantial transformation and modernization of the business of cricket in other countries such as Australia (Cricket Australia) and England (England and Wales Cricket Board), the governance of West Indies cricket has failed to evolve in a manner which accords with the exigencies of the modern game, but continues to be governed by a structure that is not reflective of the transformation of the game elsewhere. This is especially evident in relation to the requirements of the player-coaching community, stakeholder investors, and the expectations of the Caribbean cricketing public. The existing governance structure, in its most essential features, remains closely aligned to its origins in the early twentieth century when it was established to coordinate inter-colonial tournaments, select West Indian XIs and touring teams, than with the modern governance, administration and ongoing commercial progress of the industry of cricket in other parts of the world.
The Panel wishes to state unequivocally it has no issues with the individuals who occupy the leadership and composition of the WICB or the territorial Boards. Instead, we are of the view that cricket is increasingly a growing social and economic sub sector in the Caribbean. The requirements and inputs for its effective delivery, management and ongoing growth have evolved and changed considerably. These changes have made the existing systems of governance anachronistic. The Panel states that the current governance structure is out of alignment with the modern requirements of the game at the national, regional and international levels. The production, delivery and ongoing advance of what we call West Indies cricket, has outgrown the governance and administrative systems by which it has been delivered, with some modifications, since the 1920s. Hence, if West Indies cricket is to realise its true potential as a dynamic and financially lucrative service export sector, capable of restoring the pride of Caribbean people and fostering their greater sense of togetherness, then the difficult decisions to modernise its governance arrangements must be taken without further delay. It is now past the time to accept that the current governance structures are obsolete.
The Panel Recommends the Creation of a New Governance and Management Architecture for West Indies Cricket.
In the twenty-first century Caribbean, the sporting outcomes of the game of cricket will continue to dramatically affect the psyche of Caribbean people. The enduring and ongoing impact of the triumphs and tribulations of successive West Indies cricket teams on the cricketing public will continue to be well documented and researched. Yet we maintain that the issues confronting the governance and administration of cricket, exceed the dynamics of the game on the field of play and its effect on the psyche of Caribbean people.
Committee
Prime Ministerial Committee
Eudine Barriteau Chair
Sir Dennis Byron Member
Dwain Gill Member
Deryck Murray Member
Warren Smith Member
