Phot Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @JohnnyGrave
Veteran cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira praised outgoing Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave, noting that the next appointee will face high expectations to advance the region’s cricket. Perreira commended Grave’s successful tenure since 2017, particularly his recent advocacy for increased ICC funding. Grave will leave the position in October.
“I think he’s had a long run as CEO in the Caribbean. On behalf of the West Indies Board, he has overseen many negotiations and many tours. Of late, he’s been talking about the poor financial cake and the small amount of money the West Indies have been getting from the ICC,” Reds said in an interview.
“But I think he probably feels that he’s going to look down where he wants to maybe have his final job, whether it’s an English county, where his children can be educated. And I suppose it’s that time where he feels that he’s exhausted all his energy. He’s fulfilled, in his opinion, all what he could do for the West Indies Cricket Board, and it is time to move on,” he opined.
Perreira emphasized that the new CEO must build on Grave’s efforts, particularly addressing global financial imbalances, a concern recently echoed by Sir Clive Lloyd. He also highlighted the need for the new CEO to secure sponsorship for the regional first-class season and attract overseas teams to boost the game.
“Whether there’s someone earmarked, whether there’s someone within the regional market, I do not know, but it might be best for the West Indies board to advertise the post to try and get the best available person with that kind of experience. The kind of person who will follow up what Grave has been working on, what the West Indies board has been working on in terms of negotiations, in terms of the ICC share of the cake, which is adequate right now. So it’s not just a new man coming in and starting all over again; he’s got to hit the road running,” Perreira reasoned.
Former WIPA president and CEO Dinanath Ramnarine agrees that Grave’s departure will be a significant loss.
“His expertise in the sports business industry, coupled with his extensive experience, made him an invaluable asset to the organisation. Replacing someone of his calibre will be an incredibly challenging task, as the person who follows in his footsteps will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill,” Ramnarine added.
