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St Vincent Prime Minister criticizes CWI

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Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @ComradeRalph

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, has voiced disappointment with the leadership of Cricket West Indies (CWI) under its current president, Dr. Kishore Shallow. Speaking during a lecture in Dominica, Gonsalves criticized the recent performances of the West Indies cricket teams, describing them as subpar.

“I have not seen the sort of changes for the better that I really thought that he would have led,” Gonsalves said, emphasizing the underwhelming results of the teams, particularly in T20 cricket. 

“If you look at the performances of the teams, they are below par. The T20, we invest so much money, it’s terrible, and it doesn’t matter what gloss you put on it. You have to look at the results.

Gonsalves further highlighted widespread criticisms from experienced cricket administrators and former Test players regarding Shallow’s tenure.

“And there are lots and lots of criticisms by experienced administrators and former Test cricketers about how West Indies cricket is going under his leadership. It’s not a positive record at all.

“I genuinely thought that he would have made some changes for the better, but I haven’t seen them.”

Dr. Shallow, who assumed CWI leadership in March 2023 after being elected unopposed, has been accused by Gonsalves of maintaining a “bureaucratic, lifeless kind of administration” and failing to implement significant improvements. 

Gonsalves argued that West Indies cricket is treated like a “private operation” rather than a “public good,” and he called for greater investment in grassroots cricket, particularly in schools.

“The same bureaucratic, lifeless kind of administration. We don’t see anything that they are doing which is impacting the game on the field in some positive way to provide results which the people want,” Gonsalves argued.

“West Indies cricket is a public good, and they’re still running it as though it is an entrenched, private operation. They’ll have engagements with the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on cricket, but that is just window dressing.

“We have to get more resources in order that we can develop cricket from the schools. Governments will put money into it, and we are putting in money, but we need to see a lot more development taking place,” he added.

His remarks come ahead of a crucial CWI meeting with its full member shareholders, scheduled for tomorrow. During the meeting, shareholders are expected to vote on governance reforms recommended by the Wehby Report. 

These proposals include term limits and the duration of the term of office for the CWI president and vice-president.

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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff

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