Photo Credit: Facebook Photo of Tobago Cricket Association
As discussions continue regarding the absence of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) from the recent Cricket West Indies (CWI) governance reform meeting, Tobago Cricket Association (TCA) president Kerwin John has criticized both organizations, stating their actions harmed regional cricket.
The absence of the BCA and GCB, two of the six territorial boards, prevented a quorum and stalled progress on implementing recommendations from the 2020 Wehby report.
Both boards later rejected the Wehby report—drafted by Jamaican business mogul Don Wehby—and objected to CWI’s failure to address proposals for changing the system of appointing a president.
In a statement released by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) on Friday, John condemned the BCA and GCB’s absence, describing it as detrimental to cricket in the region and to CWI’s reform efforts.
“The BCA and the GCB did a great disservice to regional cricket by their shocking action, which can be only described as a dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the trust placed in them by the people who put them in office,” the TTCB release stated.
The Wehby report recommends modernizing CWI’s governance framework, including key measures such as term limits and revised term durations for the president and vice president, aimed at strengthening board governance.
CWI emphasized that due notice for the meeting had been given on November 13, in accordance with its Articles of Association. This was the second instance of the BCA and GCB failing to attend such a meeting, the first occurring in 2021.
John, who was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term as TCA president last month, questioned the motives behind their absence.
“It was surprising to many that the BCA and the GCB would go to such lengths to make the CWI, to which they belong, look bad in the eyes of the West Indian public and indeed the international cricket community. The desperate move by the two dissident stakeholders is doomed to failure,” John said.
His remarks align with those of fellow CWI director Arjoon Ramlal, who recently accused the BCA and GCB of trying to “stymie the progressive push reform overwhelmingly sought by the other members and CWI board.”
Despite the setback, John reaffirmed CWI’s determination to move forward with governance reforms.
“The CWI under Dr. Shallow will remain committed to placing cricket first and not give in to selfish and ulterior inclinations, judging from the support we have received for governance changes from all across the Caribbean, including the public in Barbados and Guyana,” the statement concluded.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexec “daily briefing” newsletter.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
