ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Beleaguered regional governing body, the West Indies Cricket Board, has once again pushed back on growing calls for its dissolution, claiming today it had “lived up to its promises” and urging the region to “trust the process”.
Referring to unnamed “small groups” which were “clamouring for the board’s dissolution”, the board in a statement sought to defend its stewardship, repeating the argument it had already implemented 90 per cent of all recommendations from the various commissioned governance reports.
The fact it had opted not to restructure along the lines suggested by the Patterson Report was not enough reason to justify dissolution, the Dave Cameron-led WICB contended.
Further, the board pointed to the Under-19 team and the senior men’s and women’s Twenty20 World Cup sides and said their recent success was proof of the board’s efficiency.
The WICB said instead of agitating for the board’s dissolution, these “small groups” needed to examine the role of government in the regional developmental agenda for cricket.
“In under 100 days since the start of 2016, three teams from the West Indies in two formats won three world titles,” the WICB said.
“That accomplishment has come as part of the high performance programme implemented just over two years ago. That there are small groups clamouring for the board’s dissolution is reason to ask … what more could a region want?
“The acceptance of an average of 90 per cent of all the commissioned reports received have been implemented, minus adding another layer of bureaucracy cannot justify calling for the board to be dissolved.
“Instead, the small groups should consider among other things promises made by Governments to contribute to the growth of cricket by hosting matches/international series, continuing to facilitate development which aids in the growth of sport, creating a more enabling environment for movement around the region, revitalizing cricket in the schools across the region [and] assisting in the setting up of territorial academies.”
The board statement comes one day after several West Indies legends, including Sir Garry Sobers, Sir Wes Hall, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Andy Roberts, issued a joint statement backing the CARICOM Governance Panel recommendation for the dissolution of the WICB, and also calling for the immediate resignation of the board of directors.
Outstanding former players Deryck Murray, Charlie Griffith and Desmond Haynes were also among the group which met in Grenada last week to discuss the matter. The legends also met with Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, the chairman of CARICOM’s subcommittee on cricket, who has been at forefront of the push for the WICB to be restructured.
The meeting was also attended by current men’s T20 captain, Darren Sammy, who criticised the board following the final of the T20 World Cup in India earlier this month.
Ever since the CARICOM Governance Panel headed by UWI Cave Hill Principal, Professor Eudine Barriteau, produced the controversial recommendation last November, debate has raged over the way forward.
And the WICB reminded that only recently it took the decision to review all governance reports to determine if they were relevant parts which could still be implemented.
“The Board in its latest response to all the reports and the most recent tabled by the sub-committee on CARICOM committed to [looking] back at all the reports with a view to see which of the recommendations are suitable at this time,” the WICB said.
“[Putting] in place a firm and/or individual with the expertise to review the recommendations and manage the implementation [and meeting] with its stakeholders to effect the changes.”
The Patterson Report, authored by former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson, was produced in 2007 but its main recommendation of a Council of Stakeholders, comprising 23 members, has been ignored by the WICB.
According to the report, the Council would be “representative of a wide cross section of stakeholders and will determine policies and strategies and provide guidance for the development of West Indies Cricket”, and appoint the president, vice-president and executive directors.
The WICB on Wednesday, however, reiterated its position on the recommendation, noting this was at the core of the move by “groups” to have the board dissolved.
“The one recommendation that has not been favoured by the current or the previous board is the adding of another layer to the existing body,” the board said.
“That has been the bane of contention in recent times with a few groups calling for the dissolution of the board.”
Despite the heavy criticism it had received, the board maintained it had performed well.
“The global sports industry is going through constant change and so are all the sporting disciplines,” the WICB pointed out.
“One thing that is sure though is that organisations are moving towards being more efficient in their structure to be able to ease decision-making and to create the most effective model for business.
“The Board so far has lived up to its promises, and while that is being done, ‘let’s trust the process’.”
