The Bureau of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), comprising Incumbent Chair Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica; Outgoing Chair, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; and Incoming Chair, Dr. the Hon. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, convened virtually on 21 July 2025, to deliberate on several issues, including West Indies Cricket. The Chair of the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee (PMSC) on Cricket, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, participated in the Bureau Meeting and led the discussion on this agenda item. The Bureau requested the PMSC on Cricket to release this statement.
The PMSC on Cricket is conscious of the economic, emotional, developmental and cultural importance of cricket to the people of the Caribbean Community. Cricket has, for decades, been a platform through which our small nations have collectively stood tall on the world stage. West Indies Cricket is very much a “public good”.
The PMSC is deeply concerned, as has also been widely expressed by various sectors of the Community, about all aspects of the current state of the game in the Region, particularly in its long form. The concerns extend from youth development and talent retention to governance arrangements and long-term strategy.
The PMSC believes that the Team’s recent performance is a moment of reckoning for this cherished Caribbean institution. Every cricket match in which our West Indies Team competes, resonates far beyond the boundary.
We reaffirm our unwavering interest in strengthening the governance and planning of the future of West Indies Cricket. Once again, we urge Cricket West Indies (CWI) to undertake a thorough and transparent review of its governance, leadership, management, economic models and development frameworks, underpinning the sport.
Multiple reports on West Indies Cricket have been prepared over the years, including:
- The Patterson Report on the Governance Committee on West Indies Cricket Report of 2007;
- The V. Eudine Barriteau Report of the Review Panel on the Governance of Cricket of 2015; and
- The Wehby Report on Governance Reform of Cricket West Indies of 2020.
We are troubled by the lack of real progress on the implementation of these recommendations. We urge CWI, yet again, to take the concrete actions outlined in these Reports.
The PMSC on Cricket is establishing a special Committee of diverse stakeholders, including our Cricket Legends, the private sector and academia. We will, with this Committee, review the multiple high-level Reports on West Indies Cricket, synthesise the various recommendations that they contain and propose an Action Plan. Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the National Cricket Associations will be invited to be a part of the consultation and review process.
CARICOM remains committed to engaging with CWI and the regional public to support bold, strategic reforms that will be designed to rebuild public confidence and restore West Indies cricket to the pinnacle of global cricket excellence in all formats of the game.
For those Dominicans who lambast Darren Sammy on the non inclusion of Hodge and Athanaze on the West Indies team that played Australia, i am doing the OPPOSITE. I am praising Darren Sammy👏👏👏👏👏 Why? Leading up to the test series both players failed to score meaningfully in our regional FIRST CLASS Tournament.Neither scored a century, and were struggling. Sammy saw that, and was good enough to allow both to play against South Africa ‘A’ team. They again FAILED. Why put them to play againt the Worlds 4 top bowlers? Just for the embarrassment and humiliation? That’s what you all wanted? WICKEDS! I am sure within themselves BOTH PLAYERS must be thanking Sammy prodigiously.
Now they have a chance to redeem themselves, get some form, and prepare for the Indian tour this year. One has a temperament and concentration problem, gifting his wicket to bowlers for no reason. Work on your wicknesses brothers. Don’t listen to 95% of Dominicans. They give very bad advice. Wish you both well…
No CARICOM Prime Minister has the moral authority to speak on the pitiful state of West Uncles cricket. They can’t even run their own countries well, not one of them.
They go around the world begging like hungry stray dogs. High national debt, crumbling infrastructure, ballooning unemployment, stubborn poverty, olitical.tribalism, ubiquitous corruption, insatiable greed are their standard operation.
The sad state of cricket is just a reflection of the pathetic state of affairs in the region.
CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committe on Cricket should SHUT the HELL UP!
Those corrupt CARICOM leaders have nothing to contribute but further destruction. I heard just yesterday that Gonzales in St Vincent has been destroying sports, just as LAZY Skerrit has destroyed playing fields in Dominica.
For 40 years our cricket has been in decline. What CWI needs to do, is put money into our under 15, 17 and 19 tournament, prepare proper pitches and please we need good coaches. The cricketing infrastructure in the Caribbean is extremely poor, compared to India, England, Australia, etc.
The ICC needs to give to the countries that are not in the top 3, some more $$$ help.
The past players like Roberts, Lara, Richards, Sebastian, etc should stop the bla, bla, bla, and help the younger folks like Nikita Miller is doing in Jamaica, and Darren Ganga and Samuel Badree in Trinidad.
The unadulterated hogwash that our cricket has dipped because of Darren Sammy is furthest from the truth…
Spot on.MEME! Better structured and much more cricket should be played locally in each territory. School cricket, club cricket, community cricket should be better organised and played more frequently.
The governments should invest in more cricket academies, proper coaching, expertise in pitch preparation. These present heads of government are liberal with their talk and conservative with their actions. They have verbal diarrhoea and mental constipation