A group calling itself Stakeholders of Guyana’s Cricket is upset with the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to do away with the rights the WICB once enjoyed as a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in favour of voting for the Big Three.
The group is also questioning where are the benefits WICB president Dave Cameron said the WICB would enjoy as a result of the vote which sees in effect England, Australia and India (The Big Three) taking control of the ICC.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports, the group said that the recent “staggering” revelations by former WICB President Pat Rousseau regarding the crisis which West Indies cricket has been plunged, must be the catalyst for Caribbean governments to get involved.
“They must seek urgent answers in order to save our regional game from total collapse,” said the group.
According to the group, Rousseau must be congratulated on his expose’ of the precipitous position that incumbent President Dave Cameron and his band of visionless Committee Members have placed the regional game.
“Indeed, Rousseau’s missive makes compelling but disturbing reading. In many places, what Cameron did in surrendering the hard-fought rights of West Indies cricket would be deemed treasonable,” they argued.
“It is an indictment on the governments of the Caribbean, the Caricom Secretariat, the West Indies Players Association, the regional media, past players and administrators and the valued cricket fans themselves that this obscene decision by the WICB to capitulate to the “Big Three” has not engendered even a passing comment by anyone anywhere,” the group added.
According to the group the following are disturbing facts:
- The cancellation of the Future Tours Programme – an initiative that was expected to benefit WI cricket both developmentally and financially. The WICB will now lose US $43 million over the next few years.
- The relegation of the WICB at the ICC meetings from full voting member to that of a virtual non- voting member in the new dispensation.
- The very substantial reduction in ICC disbursements to the WICB.
- The clear indication that West Indies will not be hosting major tours or World Cup Tournaments in the future.
- The WICB owes the BCCI US43 million dollars for the abandoned 2014 Tour.
“Since President Dave Cameron had categorically stated that West Indies cricket would benefit tremendously and be better off through voting in the “Big Three”, it is incumbent on the Governments of the Caribbean to summon Cameron to a meeting to explain how the region will benefit,” the group charged.
“To date there has not been a single word from Cameron or the WICB on the new order in World Cricket for which the WICB voted. Cameron must be reminded that he is answerable to the people of the Caribbean and that the WICB is a representative Body of the region and not a law on to itself,” the group went on.
The group is also calling on the Guyanese representatives on the WICB to explain the reasons why they supported a decision that clearly has reduced the authority and financial viability of West Indies cricket.
“Since it is quite evident that West Indies cricket has not benefited, we wish to ask those Guyanese representatives to explain whether it is the West Indies cricket that stands to benefit from this ridiculous vote or the WICB Directors/Representatives themselves?”
