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Johnny Grave

CWI could green-light England tour by Thursday

The CWI CEO, in an interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), said he is increasingly confident that the CWI board will greenlight the tour.

Initially set to get underway in June, the tour was postponed because of the Coronavirus COVID 19. However, the England Cricket Board and CWI began discussions at the start of the month over the possibility of starting the Test series in July.

Grave told Sportsmax.TV that the tour would only go ahead if the ECB could guarantee the safety of its players and support staff. However, in subsequent discussions, it was suggested that the players would fly to England by charter and be housed in a bio-secure environment for up to four weeks before the series could begin.

Last week, during the ongoing discussions, Grave said the two sides were making progress after which the CWI CEO said he now believed that the ECB now believed that they had a ‘robust and safe’ plan to ensure that the series could go ahead.

“From where we sit at the moment, based on the information we have, based on the fact that every day there are less and less cases in the UK, everyone is getting increasingly confident that the tour will happen at some point,” Grave told CMC

“Our board meeting is on May 28. If the tour has to take place, by the start of June we would need to have the [CWI] board approval and support by then in order to get the charter flight logistics in place and select the players.”

If the CWI agrees, West Indies players and support staff would likely depart the Caribbean on June 8.

CWI expresses gratitude to Sandals after four-year agreement as major sponsor concludes

Sandals became CWI’s principal partner, enjoying branding rights across all West Indies Men’s, Women’s and age-group teams in 2017, a partnership extended by a further year during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the course of many years, CWI and Sandals were able to achieve many positives, including the fact that it was CWI and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who one year ago jointly led the resumption of international cricket at all levels following the initial Pandemic shutdown. Sandals’ encouragement and support for that historic CWI decision to tour the UK was much appreciated”, said CWI CEO, Johnny Grave.

“Global sports and tourism have suffered badly from the unprecedented health-based crisis, caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, which has reduced Caribbean travel and hospitality revenues immensely. In spite of those setbacks, we were still able to encourage Sandals to extend their sponsorship for a further year. That extended period has now come to an end, and we want to again thank Sandals and its Board for their immense contribution and long-standing support of West Indies cricket.”

The CWI Partnership with Sandals was part of the incredible legacy of the late Sandals’ Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who was a life-long supporter of West Indies cricket and who made sure that the Sandals brand stood proudly on the shirts of all West Indian cricketers, continuously over the past four years.

CWI paid tribute earlier this year to Stewart, whose passing was closely followed by the loss of his senior management colleague David Roper, himself also a Sandals-based West Indies cricket stalwart. It was Mr Roper who coordinated the varying commercial relationships with West Indies cricket for more than two decades at home and abroad.

Sandals’ financial contribution through the most recent four-year period of commercial sponsorship, provided much-needed capital to CWI for investing in players and tournaments across all formats of the game.

Sandals had also previously entered into shorter-term sponsorships with CWI on a number of specific tours to the United Kingdom (UK), one of the major tourism markets where Sandals received a significant return on investment from their partnership with West Indies cricket. Sandals was the first-ever West Indies sponsor to have their logo across the chest of the Test teams.

CWI get assurances over player safety for proposed July Test tour

Both boards have been in discussions since the start of the month intent on charting a pathway to the West Indies travelling to England for three Tests in July.

Initially scheduled for June, the tour was been postponed because of fears over player safety caused by the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19.

However, late last week, CWI notified 30 players that they should be prepared to travel and play in England in July if it is decided that the tour would go ahead. It was also revealed that further discussions were set to take place on Monday.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave confirmed to Sportsmax.TV Tuesday that those Monday talks went well.

“The ECB is confident that they can deliver a safe plan for bio-secure behind closed doors cricket that will meet the UK Government guidelines and will therefore likely secure their board's approval,” Grave told Sportsmax.TV today.

“We will have further meetings and discussions this week with the ECB as we try and plan for the Test Tour taking place this summer in an environment where the number-one priority is the health and safety of all players and staff."

During an interview on Sportsnation Live on Nationwide Radio in Jamaica on Saturday, Grave reiterated that safety was the primary concern of the CWI.

“We would have to be absolutely certain that our players and support staff would be in a safe environment in order for us to play cricket,” he said while explaining the conditions under which the team would travel and play in the UK.

“What it means at this stage is that we would use charter flights to first collect players in the Caribbean and then to make our way across the Atlantic. We wouldn’t be on aircraft with any other passengers. There would be private charters for our players and team.

“Then once we land in the UK we would undergo a two-week quarantine period, which would be at a cricket facility, so the players would have the opportunity to play and train. They would be the only ones in that secure environment.”

Grave said the hotel staff, ground staff and other personnel would be tested regularly and would have to remain on-site for the duration. “Once they enter that bio-secure environment no one would be allowed to come or go, so they’d be in lockdown within a cricket venue with a hotel on-site,” he said.

According to Grave, the CWI medical and support staff have determined that the Windies would need at least four weeks to get the players into the condition that they need to be to face England in the Test matches.

CWI hoping to give Chris Gayle a proper send off against Ireland at Sabina Park

Following a disappointing performance at the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Gayle had indicated that he would love to play one more match in West Indies colours before his home fans, a request that has divided opinions across the region.

Among those against is noted cricket commentator and analyst Fazeer Mohammed.

“Are you saying somebody is going to be left out on merit to accommodate somebody’s farewell? Give him a testimonial, in the same way, you see in other countries…but I think it’s a dangerous precedent where someone is allowed to play an official international match as a farewell if they don’t deserve that place on merit,” Mohammed said while speaking on Mason & Guest in Barbados this week.

His comments were in response to comments from CWI CEO Johnny Grave, indicating that the board was in discussion with stakeholders in Jamaica, to honour the Universe Boss with a T20 International against the Irish.

“That would be, hopefully, if fans are allowed into Sabina, a good opportunity for us to say farewell to Chris at his home ground,” Grave said on Mason&Guest.

“We are still talking to the government of Jamaica around the protocols and the ability to play the series there but I hope within the next few days we can confirm that series, one, taking place and two, being held in Jamaica.

“It would certainly be appropriate, as far as I can see, to treat our players and give them the opportunity to bow out, especially players like Chris, who have had unbelievable careers and won trophies for the West Indies.”

CWI inks five-year deal with ESPN+ for West Indies cricket

CWI’s media partnership with ESPN will bring West Indies cricket to millions of households and viewers across the United States through the ESPN+ sports streaming service.

The ESPN+ partnership will feature live broadcast of every international West Indies home series covering all T20 Internationals, One-Day Internationals and Test matches within the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP). Commencing with the all-format Tour of the Caribbean by Sri Lanka in March, ESPN+ first year will feature series against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in 2021 building to five home series in 2022 including tours by England and India.

“This is CWI’s largest-ever media rights agreement in the USA and is the first of several new multi-year agreements which we will confirm in the coming weeks. Broadcast media rights income is crucial to the future financial sustainability of CWI, and this five-year rights agreement is just the start of good things to come,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

The new agreement also includes CWI’s marquee regional 50-over tournament, the CG Insurance Super50 Cup, which is also aired exclusively in the Caribbean by ESPN.

The CG Insurance Super50 Cup will be the first live cricket from the West Indies in the partnership, as the biggest regional rivalries and world-class players take the stage from February 7 to 27 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua http://www.windiescricket.com).

“ESPN is THE sports channel for American households and sports fans and we’re delighted that West Indies cricket will now be enjoyed in the homes and on the devices of millions of Americans. We have an ambitious strategic plan to grow our brand and content in North America, and ESPN is the perfect partner to help us achieve our goals,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

Meanwhile, John Lasker, Vice President, ESPN Digital Media Programming said Cricket West Indies is among the best in the world and their ICC schedule over the next few years is second to none.

“Cricket has always been a priority for us with ESPNcrincinfo leading the way as the premier destination for cricket coverage and news. Adding a strong slate of CWI events to ESPN+ is just the latest example of our commitment to cricket and serving fans with the best, most comprehensive cricket content in the U.S,” he said.

CWI inks multi-year deal with Supersport intended to take Windies cricket into new markets

The four-year agreement will see SuperSport feature exclusive live coverage of all West Indies international home matches and regional tournaments played in the Caribbean on its television and digital platforms.

As part of the agreement, West Indies cricket will now be seen in over 54 African countries and islands, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya. SuperSport’s coverage starts with the recently confirmed West Indies versus Sri Lanka series which commences on Wednesday, March 3 with three CG Insurance T20 International matches.

The agreement also includes the rescheduled visit by South Africa to the Caribbean in June 2021, a tour that had to be rescheduled from July 2020 due to COVID-19.

“This new long-term SuperSport agreement ensures that the much-loved West Indies teams will be accessible to an expanded number of African consumer markets with sub-Saharan Africa’s premier broadcaster,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

“As CWI’s third major media rights agreement finalized in the past few weeks, we are excited that SuperSport will be featuring every international series and regional tournament from the Caribbean, including the upcoming Sri Lanka Series and the rescheduled tour of the West Indies by South Africa in June.”

 Johnny Grave, CWI CEO said the agreement is another step of taking West Indies crickets into new markets.

 “We are absolutely delighted to confirm this significant four-year agreement with SuperSport to ensure that millions of cricket fans in Sub-Saharan Africa can follow West Indies Cricket in the Caribbean,” Grave said.

“By partnering with Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, CWI continues to deliver against our strategic objective of increasing the worldwide audience for and access to one of the world’s most loved cricket teams and regions.”

 This is the third major broadcast agreement announced by CWI following the recent ground-breaking agreements with ESPN+ for the United States market and with BT Sport for the United Kingdom and Ireland markets.​

CWI optimistic Sandals Resorts will return as West Indies primary sponsor

Sandals signed on as the CWI’s primary sponsor in 2018 in a partnership that covered all West Indies teams from U15s through to the senior men’s and women’s outfits. The Sandals’ logo featured on all West Indies playing and training kit as part of the deal that expired at the end of last year.

Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave confirmed to Sportsmax.TV today that positive discussions are ongoing. He indicated that there will likely be a temporary halt in those discussions following news Monday night of the passing of Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, the founder of the Sandals Resorts.

He indicated that the discussions would resume at an “appropriate time”.

CWI salary cuts could be on cards - Windies CEO Grave says body preparing for worst case scenarios

CWI and other cricket boards around the world have struggled to come to grips with both a drop-off in revenue and the uncertainty of surrounding fixtures that have had to be moved around for safety reasons.  With a large portion of the organisation’s revenue coming from broadcast rights, a nightmare scenario like no cricket for the rest of the year could leave the organization in dire straights and with tough decisions to make.

“Cleary that (no cricket) would have to see a significant reduction of all of our costs and salaries for playing staff and officials is clearly a part of that,” Grave said in a recent interview on the Mason and Guest radio show.

The CEO insists that while CWI are not yet forced to face that worse case scenario, the body has put together a committee to assess the organization’s options.

 “We’re in unprecedented times and everyone is in difficult situations and everyone is doing their best to protect what cash they have and keep their staff and their people paid,” he added.

“It’s very difficult to say with any degree of certainty what action we may take, but clearly the priority for us at the moment is, first and foremost, the health and safety of all our players and staff and clearly their wider communities and the countries of the Caribbean. We need to act very responsibly and in line with the government and medical advice.

“Secondly, our major priority is to try and keep all our people paid at full pay for as long as we can, but clearly there will come a point in time where that becomes not a possibility.”

CWI signs five-year broadcast deal for international home matches with BT Sport

As part of the agreement, BT Sport will have rights to West Indies next international home series against England, scheduled for early 2022.

This upcoming series will have added interest as it will be the first time that the two teams play the Richards-Botham Trophy Test Series — named in honour of Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham — two of the greatest cricketers of all time.

England's visits to the Caribbean are an iconic fixture in the international cricket calendar and regularly attract one of the largest live TV cricket audiences in the UK.

 “On behalf of CWI, and all who helped make this deal come together, I am delighted to announce one of our largest ever broadcast rights agreements in the form of this unprecedented partnership with BT Sport,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

“Our tour to England last year helped to remind us how strong the West Indies brand continues to be in the UK, and we thank BT Sport for so highly valuing West Indies cricket by committing their broadcast support over the next five years. I am especially pleased that, in partnership with ESPN, BT Sport will also show much of the upcoming CG Insurance Super50 Cup which starts next Sunday, 7th February.”

As well as England’s tour to the Caribbean in 2022, BT Sport will have access to a packed schedule of international cricket from the West Indies in 2021 on its sports channels and across its digital platforms, starting with Sri Lanka, who they face across all formats in March before the tours to the Caribbean by South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in June, July and August.

“The first-ever Richards-Botham Trophy in March 2022 will be an eagerly anticipated Test Series, not just for our fans in the UK hailing from the Caribbean, but also to the many UK sports and cricket fans who will be able to watch live on their TV or mobile devices after school or work,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“West Indies home series are the second most-watched cricket in the UK after England’s home matches, and this agreement ensures that the best action from the Caribbean will be broadcast in an extremely important sports and tourism market for the region.”

 Rachel Knight, Rights Director, BT Sport said; “We want to provide customers with the best sport from across the globe, so we are delighted to add the England men’s and women’s cricket teams to our line up.  In addition to some hugely important and enticing Test and T20 International matches over the next 18 months, the new rights in New Zealand and West Indies will see the world’s top cricketers regularly on BT Sport.”

 This is a long-term agreement and has huge significance because the UK is the West Indies’ second-largest commercial market, and where a large number of fans with West Indian heritage reside.

CWI to send inspection team to Bangladesh ahead of January 2021 tour

The tour is due to feature matches in both the ongoing  ICC Test Match Championship and the ICC One-Day International Super League. The recce will be conducted by CWI Board Director, Dr Akshai Mansingh (member of the CWI’s and ICC’s Medical Advisory Committee) and Paul Slowe, CWI’s Security Manager.

While in Bangladesh, they will visit all the proposed facilities for the tour in both Dhaka and Chattogram, attend matches in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup and also get a first-hand look at the country's COVID-19 response protocols.

“We would be the first International Team to visit Bangladesh since the onset of the pandemic and, acting always with the health and safety of our touring party at the forefront of our minds, we have decided to conduct a pre-tour recce by sending two highly experienced professionals to assess the BCB’s bio-secure plans and protocols,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“Our respective medical and operations teams have held a number of positive meetings over the last few weeks and following receipt of the report from our inspection team, a recommendation will be made to our Board of Directors on whether it is safe to tour Bangladesh early next year.”

The tour of Bangladesh would be the third tour for the West Indies Men's team since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are presently in New Zealand for three T20 Internationals, two Test matches and two ‘A’ Team Four-Day matches. Earlier this year they visited England where they played three Test matches, in a bio-secure environment, which marked the return to the game on the international stage. The West Indies Women's team also toured England in September for five T20 Internationals.

CWI undertaking bidding process for islands desirous of hosting 2023 ICC T20 World Cup matches

Countries have been required to demonstrate their ability to deliver a world-class venue and stage the matches by providing match and training facilities, undergo a venue inspection, provide immigration, customs, medical and security support, as well as other operational and logistical requirements including accommodation for the members of the teams, match officials and broadcast crew.

Visits to Caribbean venues that are contemplating submitting proposals to host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches started on Wednesday, 26 April. A small team will visit each country to look at facilities and discuss the pathway to becoming a host country. A similar process will also be followed to identify venues to host matches in USA.

Countries selected will have the opportunity to promote themselves to a global audience of over one billion people from all over the world. This tournament will also inject significant investment into the economy of each host nation.

 “We are delighted that the next edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place in the West Indies and the USA. Of course, the Caribbean is a region rich in cricket culture where fans can enjoy a carnival experience with a fine tradition of producing exciting and flamboyant cricketing stars across all formats of the game,” said Geoff Allardice, CEO of ICC.

“The T20 World Cup is a special event in the calendar and this upcoming edition of the men’s event will expand to 20 teams competing to claim the ultimate prize in T20 international cricket. All host countries play an important role in the provision of world class venues, training facilities and services for players and officials, with the upgrade of any facilities providing a lasting legacy for the game in the West Indies.”

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said hosting the World Cup is an opportunity to spur economic growth across the region.

“This will be the most significant sports event held in the West Indies for a generation, helping us to unlock new commercial and economic growth opportunities for the ICC, CWI and our region as a whole,” he said.

“This will be the fifth ICC global event that we have proudly staged, 14 years since we last hosted a Men's World Cup event, and this time it will be bigger than ever. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will be co-hosted with the USA and is the largest ICC World Cup in history, with 20 teams playing 55 matches.

“This tournament will be a major financial boost to the West Indies and all our host countries as it's the perfect opportunity to invite the world to the biggest cricket carnival ever staged. CWI aims to partner once again with our regional governments to ensure that we collectively capitalize on this fantastic platform to promote the region to the world.”

Grave added that hosting the tournament will be an “opportunity for us to rebuild our cricket, re-engage our traditional cricket supporters and attract a new generation of fans. Cricket has always been part of our culture and we will celebrate this tournament by providing memorable experiences for teams and cricket fans on and off the field that will blend the unique Caribbean matchday experience with the very best in American sporting entertainment.”

The format of the tournament will see the 20 teams participating – with four groups of five teams in the first round. Each team will play one match against the other teams in the group. The top two teams from each group will move into the Super8s stage and these eight teams will be spilt into two groups of four with each team playing one match against the other teams in top two teams from each group of the Super8s will advance to the Semi-Finals. 

This is the second time that the West Indies will have hosted the event, with the first time back in 2010. West Indies have won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on two occasions – in 2012 in Sri Lanka and 2016 in India.

CWI want DreRuss, Narine fit for T20 World Cup

It has been more than a year and a half since Russell last represented the West Indies in a T20 International with the 2019 World Cup marking the last time he suited up for the side.

During that World Cup Russell was unable to finish a game without treatment and seemed in real pain. He had to do knee surgery after limping out of one game, but seems on the comeback trail, having played in a number of domestic T20 games around the world.

“Hopefully, in the next few weeks he will undergo what is described by the medical team as a return-to-play protocol,” said Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave.

“So he will go through a fitness test to see how his knees have recovered from the injuries that he suffered and allowing us to see if he would be passed fit medically – which is the first stage – and injury free in terms of his ability to both bat and bowl.

“He would then build up his fitness levels and hopefully through performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) make himself available for selection for the West Indies.”

Russell is expected to turn out for the Kolkata Knight Riders when the IPL season bowls off on March 29 later this year.

Russell’s partner at KKR, mystery spinner Sunil Narine is also somebody the West Indies are keeping a close watch on.

Narine played through a finger injury during last year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and has also, for a number of years, struggled with his action.

“He’s obviously been a player that has been a fantastic servant and player for West Indies, particularly in white ball cricket, but at this stage, Sunil is still working on his action,” said Grave.

“He obviously had the finger injury which took him out and made him struggle to bowl, and we’re hoping that he’s going to be fully fit … and be able to bowl his full portfolio of deliveries for the IPL and then fingers crossed, from the West Indies point of view, all goes well and he can follow that through into the CPL and hopefully be in form and be available for the World Cup.”

The T20 World Cup in Australia takes place in October.

CWI, CSA agree to postponement of Women's ODI, Men's 'A' Team series

The five-match Women’s series was scheduled prior to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in July. However, following South Africa’s automatic qualification (having finished third in the ICC Women’s Championship), and in response to the ICC’s announcement on Tuesday of the postponement of the Women’s Qualifier Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CWI and CSA have agreed to postpone the tour.

  Additionally, CWI and CSA have also agreed that due to the uncertainty of international travel, quarantine requirements and the health and safety of both teams that the ‘A’ Team tour should also be postponed.

“The health and safety of the players and coaching staff is of paramount importance to both CWI and CSA and with the current COVID-19 travel restrictions it is impossible for us to consider both tours taking place as we had originally planned,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“We are continuing our discussions with CSA on the feasibility of hosting the Men’s tour later this summer and will have further discussions in due course on new dates for the Women’s and ‘A’ Team tours.”

Meanwhile, CSA’s acting CEO said the situation is disappointing.

“It is a frustrating state of affairs in which cricket finds itself around the world but there are more important issues that have to be confronted and the wellbeing of our players and support staff must always come first,” he said.

“Both our men’s and women’s national teams are keen to get back on the playing field as soon as possible.

“They want to build on their recent good results with the men achieving a 3-0 victory over Australia in their recent Momentum ODI series against Australia and our Momentum Proteas women coming so close to reaching the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.”

 The West Indies Women currently sit in seventh (7th) position in the ICC Women’s Championship.  The top three teams from the Women’s Qualifier will qualify to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 due to take place in February in New Zealand.

CWI/ECB announce expanded schedule for 2022 Caribbean tour

The January 2022 Tour will now feature five T20 Internationals (T20Is) – increased from three matches – to be followed by England returning to the Caribbean for three Test matches in March – increased from the original two Test matches.

The Test series will be the first in which the two teams compete for the newly commissioned Richards-Botham Trophy, named in honour of West Indies’ batting icon Sir Vivian Richards and England’s great all-rounder Lord Ian Botham.

The T20I series will be the biggest series to date between the two teams in the shortest form of the game and will be part of the preparations building up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in October 2022.

“This expansion of next year’s England tour to the Caribbean is welcomed news for West Indies Cricket and for the region’s tourism economy. It has come about because of the special relationship that has been developed between our respective boards and we are looking forward to working with ECB Chair Ian Watmore, and CEO Tom Harrison, to expand our partnership even further into new areas of cooperation and support,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

“We have already begun discussions on how the ECB can help us in our development programs and I am pleased that ECB has been showing so much appetite and goodwill to assist.”

Johnny Grave CWI CEO expressed his pleasure at the development.

“We are delighted that the ECB has agreed to increase the number of matches in their tour to the Caribbean next year,” he said.

“An England tour to the West Indies is a special event, so adding a third Test match and two T20Is to the original schedule it will enable more fans to watch the teams do battle and afford more of our countries the opportunity to host matches.”

Meanwhile, Ian Watmore, Chair, England and Wales Cricket Board said discussions between the two boards had been ongoing since the West Indies toured the UK in the summer of 2020.

"We hugely appreciated the support of Cricket West Indies, and all its men’s and women’s players, in helping us host a full season of international cricket in the summer of 2020. Following the conclusion of those tours to England we have been in discussions with CWI to understand how we can best support them moving forward and one way was to extend our existing England men’s tours to the Caribbean in 2022,” Watmore said.

Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, England and Wales Cricket Board said they were thrilled to be able to expand the number of games for the respective formats.

"A tour to the Caribbean is one of the most iconic for both England players and fans alike. So, we are delighted to confirm that our England men’s team will play two additional IT20s and one more Test Match as part of their planned tours in January and March respectively,” Harrison said.

“The three Test-match series will form part of the next ICC World Test Championship, whilst the additional IT20s will provide our England men’s team with valuable preparation ahead of the ICC World T20, which takes place in Australia later that year."

The venues for the matches are expected to be announced by the end of April.

Proposed Match Schedule

Friday, January 28: 1st T20 International

Sunday, January 30: 2nd T20 International

Wednesday, February 2: 3rd T20 International

Friday, February 4: 4th T20 International

Saturday, February 5: 5th T20 International

Tuesday, March 1 to Friday, March 4: warm-up match

Tuesday, Mar 8 to Saturday, March 12: 1st Test Match

Wednesday, March 16 to Saturday, March 20: 2nd Test Match

Thursday, March 24 to Monday, March 28: 3rd Test Match

February 2021 earliest for Regional Super 50 with Sri Lanka shortly after - CWI CEO

CWI CEO Johnny Grave provided some insight as what this hybrid form of the competition could look like during an interview on Sportsnation Live on Nationwide Radio in Jamaica on Saturday.

“I think at this stage it looks like flying in the six regional teams to one country to host the tournament across two venues. We think realistically for us to put on the best tournament that we possibly can then we need at least eight weeks of preparation in order to make sure that the training pitches, the practice pitches, and the grounds are in the best possible condition so that we can sustain as many games as possible in a short period of time,” Grave said.

The CWI said he didn’t see where it would be possible to get crowds into the stadia but they would be working closely with the host board and the host government from the ministry of sport and ministry of health perspective to make sure that the players are safe and that the community and country are safe.

Grave said it was too early to say what the medical protocols would be but it is likely the matches will be played behind closed doors.

That said, he is not completely ruling out having people in the grounds.

“We know Caribbean cricket fans are desperate for entertainment, desperate to watch some high-class cricket, so if we can get crowds into the stadiums, working with the government and going through the current protocols to so, then absolutely we would try and get crowds there.”

He said that over the next few weeks CWI would be working with their international fixture list committee and the board of directors to put forward their recommendations about where to host the Super50 and after that, hopefully host Sri Lanka for three T20s, three ODIs and two Test matches.

Final decision on who hosts 2024 ICC World Cup final yet to be reached - CWI CEO Johnny Grave

CWI acknowledges the enthusiasm and interest expressed by various governments, cricket boards, and stakeholders in hosting the highly anticipated tournament. However, there has been some confusion over how the process works, especially in light of recent developments wherein Barbados Cricket Association President Conde Riley claimed that Barbados has been selected to host the finals of the tournament next June.

Those claims have been debunked by CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow.

So, what is the actual truth?

CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave explained, stating, "Following a robust selection process of our seven host venues, CWI-appointed Venues Selection Committee, chaired by President Dr. Kishore Shallow, has made recommendations to the ICC on allocations of matches for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in the Caribbean and USA in June 2024."

Grave acknowledged the commendable efforts made by nations within the region; however, he emphasized that final decisions have yet to be reached.

"These recommendations are subject to venues confirming commitment to all required obligations and ICC approval,” explained.

“We are delighted by the enthusiasm and interest expressed by our host governments and cricket Boards and appreciate the hard work and commitment shown as we look to deliver a spectacular Men's T20 World Cup next year. We will now work with the ICC, our hosts and ICC Members to finalize the match schedule in the coming weeks."

Great to have cricket back in region' - CWI CEO Grave thrilled with CPL return

The West Indies became one of the first teams to return to international cricket last month, after embarking on a three-match tour of England.  The entire series, which the West Indies lost 2-1, took place in a biosecure environment.

Likewise, the region has been among the first to return to hosting a major T20 franchise tournament when the CPL tipped off on Tuesday.  The entire tournament will take place in Trinidad and Tobago, where another bio-secure environment has been established.  Grave believes the return of the tournament to the region’s pitches will provide a boost to players and fans alike, despite this edition being played in an empty stadium.

“I think it’s great that we have cricket back on in the region.  We are very proud of the fact that with England and Wales Cricket Board we were able to bring international cricket back to the world,” Grave said.

“It’s great for everyone in the region, it’s brilliant for our players.  It’s great for cricket fans around the world that they’ve now got almost doubleheaders every single day for the next few weeks to enjoy,” he added.

“We haven’t had any regional cricket since the West Indies Championship finished in March.  So, I think the West Indians involved in CPL alone will pick up collectively US$2m.  It is really important to them as professional cricketers that they can earn some much-needed match fees from the tournament.”

Jimmy Adams out as CWI Director of Cricket; search for replacement underway

Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on Wednesday that the recruitment process for a new director of cricket has begun as the role will become vacant at the end of June when Jimmy Adams' contract expires.

Adams, who played 54 Tests and 127 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies, has been in the role since January 2017.

“We are extremely grateful for the leadership and contribution that Jimmy has made over the past six and half years," said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

"He has overhauled our High-Performance structure, especially with respect to Coach Education and Development, Sport Science and Medicine and most recently with the launch of our Academy based at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua. I have no doubt that Jimmy will continue to contribute to the game, particularly West Indies Cricket.”

Meanwhile, CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, lauded Adams for his contribution to West Indies Cricket.

“Jimmy has always served West Indies Cricket with passion and distinction. His composed demeanor and professionalism have inspired many positive outcomes over the years," said Dr Shallow.

"One of his legacies would definitely be the commencement of a coaching revolution in the region. On behalf of the CWI Board, we wish him a favorable future path.”

 Adams said serving West Indies cricket has been a privilege.

“It's been an honour to have been involved in the ongoing evolution of CWI," he said.

"I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people across the organization and am grateful for all the support they gave me over the past six plus years. I wish everyone all the best going forward especially in light of the various challenges that exist both regionally and globally.”

Under the leadership of Jimmy Adams as Director of Cricket, CWI started a Coach Education & Development Department that created a new set of CWI coaching courses and accreditations that has seen over 1,000 new certified coaches in the region; launched the Men’s Academy, based at CCG in Antigua; started an U19 Regional Women’s Tournament, Women’s ‘A’ Team series and the Women’s Caribbean Premier League and established a Sports Science & Medicine Department to drive a fitness culture.

He also implemented a new Selection Policy that included appointing separate Women’s and Youth Selection Panels as well as established the High-Performance Coaching Group.

Joe Root wants to get complicated West Indies series underway, Holder says safety first

For that to happen, the players would have to go through rigid isolation and testing protocols, as well as austere social distancing measures.

Of course, the proposal will include officials as well as media and the England skipper thinks it can work.

“I’m optimistic about it. It would be a real shame if it doesn’t happen. The public are desperate for some live sport and the guys are missing it,” said Root.
“The players would be sectioned off in one part of the hotel and would be in isolation together. There would be no interaction with the media, the TV crews or even the opposition when off the pitch.

“We would have separate lunchrooms. It would have a different feel to it but it’s probably manageable. Hopefully that is the case.”

According to the proposals, the three Tests would be played at ‘bio-secure’ venues behind closed doors.

Those venues, the proposal points out, are those that have hotels on location, like Manchester, Southampton and Headingly.

Root, while optimistic, is cognizant of the fact that Cricket West Indies (CWI) would have to take the risk.

In response, West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, has said his side would have to be certain of their safety before saying yes to such a proposal.

“This thing has been really, really serious as we all know and has claimed quite a few lives throughout the world and that’s the last thing any of us would really want,” said Holder.

“I think we’ve got to play the safety card first before we can even think about resuming our normal lives.”

In the meantime, CWI Chief Executive, Johnny Grave, has said the England Cricket Board’s proposals were being considered but that first all the moving parts would have to be understood.
England will be desperate to get back the Wisden Trophy they lost to the West Indies last year for the first time in a decade.

Johnny Grave’s tenure as CEO of West Indies Cricket to conclude in October 2024

Grave’s departure comes at a time when CWI is celebrating several significant achievements under his leadership, including the recent success of the T20 World Cup hosted in the Caribbean. Reflecting on his tenure, Grave expressed both pride and a sense of fulfillment:

“It has been an absolute privilege to have been CEO of CWI since February 2017. Having just hosted a successful T20 World Cup and delivered significant surpluses for CWI for the third consecutive year, I do feel it is the right time for me and my family to seek a new challenge.”

These words capture the essence of Grave’s impact—a leader who has overseen a period of financial stability and growth for CWI, even as global sports organizations faced unprecedented difficulties. Grave’s tenure, however, was not just about balance sheets; it was about steering the ship through rough waters, including the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have received tremendous support from so many people since becoming CEO, and I’d like to thank everyone, especially the staff and the players, particularly during the difficult pandemic, for their trust in me and their commitment to West Indies cricket.”

These sentiments highlight Grave’s appreciation for the team that worked alongside him through one of the most tumultuous periods in recent history. The pandemic disrupted global sports, and yet under Grave’s guidance, CWI managed to keep the game alive in the region, hosting key tournaments and ensuring the continuation of cricket in the Caribbean.

One of the most noteworthy achievements during Grave’s tenure was the acquisition and full ownership of the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). This historic move provided CWI with a permanent home and established the CCG as the headquarters and training ground for the Men’s and Women’s Academies—a legacy that will benefit West Indies cricket for generations to come.

CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow commended Grave’s leadership, particularly during the pandemic, and the successful hosting of three World Cups:

“Johnny’s efforts, particularly through challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as successfully hosting three World Cups including the Women’s World T20 in 2018, the Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in 2022, and the recent Men’s T20 World Cup, have made a lasting impact on CWI.”

Dr. Shallow’s remarks underscore the significance of Grave’s contributions, not just in terms of event management but in ensuring that West Indies cricket remains competitive on the global stage. The hosting of these tournaments was a testament to CWI’s organizational capability and its standing within the international cricket community.

Looking ahead, Dr. Shallow emphasized the importance of building on the strong foundations laid by Grave:

“As we look forward to embracing a new chapter in the organization’s evolution, CWI is poised to deliver the new strategic plan and enter a new era of governance. This transition reflects our commitment to adapting and innovating in response to the evolving landscape of cricket.”

CWI will soon initiate a comprehensive recruitment process to select the next CEO, ensuring a seamless transition and continuity in leadership. The process will be conducted transparently, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.