BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Cricket Association president, Conde Riley, says he intends to give newly-elected Cricket West Indies president, Ricky Skerritt, his full support even though the BCA openly backed losing three-time incumbent, Dave Cameron, at last Sunday’s election.
Riley copped severe criticism during the campaign after the BCA snubbed a request from Skerritt and then running mate Dr Kishore Shallow, to present their manifesto to the local body.
Following the election result, however, Riley said he had spoken with Skerritt to offer his future support.
“I congratulated him on Sunday at breakfast, we shook hands and we spoke because I’ve served under Ken Gordon and several presidents [and] after the elections you have to move on,” Riley told a cricket radio programme here.
“At breakfast at the Pegasus Hotel [president Skerritt] and I shook hands and we both agreed that this is not about Cameron, Skerritt or me, this is about cricket.” He added: “I said to president Skerritt Barbados will continue to support West Indies cricket and I will continue to support any president that is elected democratically.”
Riley was seen as a staunch Cameron ally and pledged the BCA’s support during the election campaign, that saw Guyana also come out in support of the Jamaican.
Windward Islands was the third territorial board to give Cameron their support before the election, guaranteeing him of at least six of the seven votes needed to retain the presidency.
Skerritt and Shallow had only gained the support of Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago with Jamaica undeclared but in a stunning twist on election day, the challengers managed to pick up previously unguaranteed votes to both win by 8-4 margins.
However, Riley said whatever had occurred was now history and the focus was now on the future.
“I understand politics. When we went in there (election) I had heard that three territories were supporting Cameron and three were supporting president Skerritt,” he explained.
“As it turned out two delegates [switched] … but that’s water under the bridge now. We’re moving forward in the interest of West Indies cricket.”