On 15th October 2015 DNO considered and facilitated my publishing of an article titled “CARICOM Should decree West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) out of existence”: See my article on WICB here.
Since then “an Independent Review Panel of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Sub-Committee on Cricket Governance has recommended that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) be disbanded and an interim committee installed to run the affairs of cricket in the region, the Jamaica Observer reported on 4th November 2015. Here is the article from the Jamaica Observer: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Caricom-panel-recommends-WICB-be-dissolved_19236912.
It seems someone was or some people were reading and listening or maybe I am being too presumptuous so I should very humbly say that coincidentally we seem to be of like minds and in one accord.
I am encouraged by the findings of such a credible, erudite, illustrious and visionary panel made up of principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, Professor V Eudine Barriteau, and included president of the Caribbean Court of Justice Sir Denis Byron, former Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies cricketer Derryck Murray, president of the Caribbean Development Bank Dr. Warren Smith, and president of the Grenada Cricket Association Dwain Gill. A Very balanced panel indeed.
Professor V Eudine Barriteau – the essence of our education, thinking and crafting of a better future
Sir Denis Byron – illustrious legal luminary, the essence of transparency, fairness, integrity, balance,
Derryck Murray – thoughtful, composed WI wicketkeeper and understanding diplomacy (served Trinidad at the UN)
Dr. Warren Smith – accomplished in corporate business, Finance, planning and banking throughout the Caribbean region
Dwain Gill – Grenada and Windward Island Under fifteen cricket Coach, a lecturer at the TA Marryshow College, Under 19 West Indies Team Analyst
I specifically and deliberately highlighted their profiles. Now add to this panel the accomplished, imminent and distinguished panel of the now much talked about Patterson Report:
Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, ON, PC, QC: Chairman, Sir Allister McIntyre, OM, OCC, Dr. Ian McDonald and Sir Hillary Beckles. They represent academia, finance, planning, business, travel & tourism, law and the rule of law, transparency, fairness, integrity, balance, history, diplomacy, cricket and cricket governance at the National and regional level.
I highlighted all this to say that after all these recommendations by these great West Indians (or if you prefer, Caribbean nationals) then it is up to CARICOM and our Heads of Governments to prove that they understand the sublimation of sport into our culture, our intangible heritage, into our resilience, our quest for excellence and into our very vision and outlook for wholesome development.
Do we have to go far to see what the Usain Bolt Brand means to all the areas I mentioned above, and interestingly, not just for Jamaica but the entire Caribbean region?
I expect CARICOM HEADs of Governments to have an abiding consensus and unequivocally accept the panel’s report – AND ACT ON IT IMMEDIATELY.
Why should they act immediately? Simple: firstly, the patient (the Caribbean together with WICB & WI cricket) has been in a comatose state for so long that this urgent surgery may very well be the last attempt or probably last possible opportunity to save the patient from entering its “holy groves”.
Secondly, the empaneled professionals come from different Caribbean countries and with diverse backgrounds. This suggests that their investigations, analysis and recommendations were thorough and all-encompassing – and void of the specter of insularity. It points to consensus, collective determination and a complete integrated development methodology which is necessary not just for cricket but all aspects of our sustainable development approaches. It signals the essence of CARICOM’s quest for integration towards a Single Market and economy. If CARICOM does not ACT NOW then it would be in a sorry state of negation to its very doctrine of integration & CSME.
Thirdly, if CARICOM does not ACT NOW it sends a resounding message that it does not at all trust, believe in, have faith in or take seriously its professionals. Now I do not want to believe that at all but that is probably the only message one could possibly infer if CARICOM does not ACT NOW.
Fourthly, all these great West Indians on the panel and those who wrote the “Patterson report” cannot all be so wrong. Indeed, if ALL these illustrious Caribbean professionals and visionaries are all wrong, then I am very much afraid for our future and our identity, our ability for self-determination and yea, probably our very existence or survival as a people. But since I believe they are right, and I dare submit that CARICOM do not have any credible reason or basis to prove otherwise, then CARICOM MUST ACT NOW.
Only one apprehension lingers as relates one utterance from the panel. That is, “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 subsector in the Caribbean”. Now “how in the Blue Blazes” is that possible? As individuals, of course they can go on living their merry lives, for indeed CARICOM should avoid a witch hunt at all cost – that is not what we want. However, as professionals, the WICB in its varied constitution over the last two decades have presided and witnessed the demise of West Indies cricket and are responsible and ought to be accountable for its present sorry state. Accountability can be attained in simply decreeing WICB out of existence and that would suffice.
In any event, the panel “strongly recommends the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board and the appointment of an Interim Board whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework”. The panel states that “this is a fundamental and foundational requirement. These two key measures are absolutely necessary in order to transform and modernize the governance, management, administration, and the playing of the game. All other recommendations depend on these recommendations being implemented”.
In order to avoid acrimony, please decree them out of existence by constituting a new entity since it appears that legally CARICOM has no jurisdiction. Just remove the national trust vested in WICB and it will cease to have validation and will become defunct and bankrupt thus strengthening the new entity. This is not about individuality as per members of the WICB but it is about saving a people from shame, disgrace, disrespect and impairment of the psyche and the will to succeed.
In that regard I think CARICOM must now swiftly put together a legal team to craft a properly structured legal framework in order to create and functionalize the proposed Interim Body. Note that I did not say Interim Board for that would presuppose that WICB is still in existence with merely an Interim Board. All the old baggage of WICB plus its debt would still be hanging over the Interim Board. This would mean that psychologically, emotionally, mentally, socially, financially and otherwise the mistrust and suspicion would still persist pending some kind of success breakthrough – whether short-term, medium-term or long-term. Meanwhile, the psyche of West Indies Cricket and our intangible heritage would continue to erode and disintegrate.
The circumstances require a totally new entity. Not to realize that is to be in self-denial or indulging in self-serving lip service and pity party reveling (well I guess we are well known for creating the best party in cricket in recent times – and I really mean that sarcastically)!!
I believe we are at a cross roads in not just cricket but in leadership and governance in the region. We have a fantastic opportunity to effect long-term change for the betterment of the region.
I tend to have great confidence in the CARICOM Cricket Governance Sub-committee, comprising prime ministers Gaston Browne of Antigua & Barbuda, Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Grenada’s Dr. Keith Mitchell – all of them visionaries and revolutionaries. These two qualities, that of being visionary and revolutionary, I hope will see us through a new era.
Now in an era of the policy and doctrine of recycling and conservation I sincerely hope that CARICOM is not inclined to recycling this present WICB for it is not recyclable material. I also do not expect CARICOM to conserve the WICB by mere cosmetic changes. This would be tantamount to a Pontius Pilate behavior of betrayal and condemning West Indies cricket with its fans and society generally to a brutal crucifixion.
Instead I expect CARICOM to be the savior of West Indies cricket. I expect CARICOM to create a new entity and start anew.
As I asked in my last article (DNO 15th October 2015), can we succeed in ushering a new era of stability, tranquility, respect and excellence in West Indies cricket? By God I think we can. Yes we can!!
Now CARICOM, you have the ability, you have the break (opportunity) but do you have the courage to effect such bold changes. CARICOM prove to me you have what it takes to save West Indies from further embarrassment globally. I beseech you, I implore you, I DARE YOU!
I expect you CARICOM to do the only noble, sensible, logical and righteous thing and that is to ACT NOW.
CARICOM, in a righteous way, what thou doest do quickly!
Sylvester Cadette describes himself as a West Indies cricket enthusiast.
Mr Cadette, could you let us know when you’ll be penning an article addressing one of the greater problems in West Indies cricket ie these greedy, self-serving, internationally-mediocre, so called star players who have had a parasitic relationship in their favour with West Indies cricket rather than a mutually symbiotic one?
Somehow, the covert & overt propaganda machinery which is serving these players seem to always paint them in good light and the WICB in bad light.
Could somebody please explain to me how is it that teams such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to improve significantly in internationally cricket even though the cricket boards of these respective countries continue to experience recurring internal problems – some even on a greater scale than experienced at the WICB.
Mr Cadette, please remember that cricket is played on a field and not on paper or in a boardroom or in the head of these significantly-inefficient regional leaders.
Dear Channel 1, you are not wrong in wanting the matter of the players to be address. In fact I agree with your characterization that some of the players are “greedy, self-serving, internationally-mediocre, so called star players”.
What I addressed in my articles is the source of the problems. Theses players are a product of WICB’s poor, hopeless management. But is WICB alone to blame ? NO ! This is why I am Calling out the countries – they are to blame too. I will address the issue of the players in subsequent commentary. Suffice it to say that I did indicate that a Meritocracy must ensure that players are rewarded on merit – on performance in all aspects of representation both on and off the field of play (my previous article).
Meanwhile, I understand your disgust with the players. Trust me my disgust with the players may be much bigger than you think,
though not expressed yet. Deal with the structure first then reign in a new cadre of players.
first sentence should read, …matter of the players to be addressed”.
@Sylvestor Cadette – Some tweaking to the WICB may possible be needed but please note that the WICB has already gone through various changes in it’s structure and head honchos over the last 2 decades. Yet the West Indies team with its so-called ‘stars’ continue to falter in international cricket which to me is the real test bed of a cricketer – not these freak show domestic T20 tournaments around the world.
One therefore has to ask what exactly is the key recurring denominator in these problems? It cannot be that the WICB is really all that bad and/or inept – some forms of internal strife we see in some foreign cricket boards is hardly seen in the WICB yet the cricket teams selected by these foreign boards still excel.
When the West Indies ruled the world in cricket, was the WICB back then actually better than the WICB today in terms of structure, management etc?
A number of these regional governments are just a bunch of talkers and jokers. Dem fellas want to come talking about the WICB should be disbanded and an interim committee set up to manage the affairs of West Indies cricket. This is so humorous.
These regional governments should first lead by example by disbanding themselves for their inefficient & mediocre management of their countries issues and allow seriously minded administrations to takeover the running of their countries affairs. Some of these regional prime ministers can hardly perform the jobs they were elected to perform in their respective countries but they want to come talking about disbanding West Indies cricket. Steeeuuuuuuuuuuppppppppsssssss.
Woe be unto West Indies cricket if these regional governments ever get their claws on the WICB and run the WICB by proxy. People who cannot fix their own problems somehow always seem to know how to fix other people problems.