The report that was submitted to the board just over a week ago contained some far-reaching changes that would significantly change the way the board now operates.
The report highlighted the “need to foster the rebuilding of trust and a common purpose between CWI and the other stakeholders, especially with regional governments”.
The recommendations included comprehensive reform of the governance structure using key principles of modern governance to provide greater accountability and transparency and that the membership of the Board of Directors to reflect a wide cross-section of skills and competencies.
The report also recommended a shift to a smaller and more balanced Board of 12 in the immediate instance, with an eventual reducing to nine including at least two women. The CWI board is currently comprised of 18 members.
The roles of the president and vice president are to be redesigned to be more board specific and non-executive. The report also recommended the establishment of a Nominations Committee to identify and evaluate potential directors and to nominate future directors and committee members and that there be a reduction in CWI Committee structure from 12 to five (5) Committees.
“We cannot ignore the fact that this is the fifth external governance review endeavour of its kind, within the past 13 years. However, I am confident that this latest review was conducted by five experienced, skilled and well-intentioned West Indians, each with an unmitigated concern and respect for West Indies cricket in general,” the CWI president said in a letter to stakeholders.
“Together they are more than capable of merging learnings from past reviews with the realities of the present, in order to develop a pertinent and strategic outlook for a preferred future”.
An Independent Task Force led by Senator Don Wehby, which also included Sir Hilary Beckles, Mr Deryck Murray, Mr O.K Melhado and Mr Charles Wilkin QC, prepared the report. The Task Force consulted extensively, and the 36-page report drew from a wide cross-section of expertise – from knowledgeable persons in the West Indies as well as in the global game.
The report is also now available to the public on the CWI Website https://www.windiescricket.com/cricket-west-indies/the-wehby-report-distributed-to-cwi-stakeholders/
In a strongly worded letter to Riley on October 5, Shallow outlined a number of issues which he said reflected poorly on the Bajan’s stewardship.
The most egregious, Shallow said, was the 70-year-old Riley’s appearance on the Mason and Guest radio show on September 26, when he claimed Barbados had been awarded the rights by the International Cricket Council to host the final of the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup.
The World Cup is being held in the West Indies and US, with Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana reportedly vying to host the final. No announcement has been made by the ICC or CWI about the venue for the final.
CWI vice president Azim Bassarath recently told i95.5FM: “I know for a fact that decision has not been made as yet, and the reports that we’ve had from the ICC and from our people that represent CWI at ICC, is that some time in November that decision will be made.”
A clearly upset Shallow told Riley: “Your inaccurate public statement that a letter from the ICC to the BCA advising that Kensington Oval had been awarded the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final not only misled the public but also constituted a serious breach of the trust placed in you as a CWI director. Such actions not only reflect poorly on your personal integrity but also bring the entire CWI organization into disrepute.”
Shallow urged Riley to familiarize himself with Article 51 of the memorandum and articles of association of CWI and the code of ethics for the board of directors.
Shallow said there was hesitancy to throw the book at Riley, but warned that such considerations “may not be extended in the future.”
Shallow added, “This letter is issued with the expectation that you receive it with due gravity, CWI is an organization with sterling reputation, and as directors, we must act responsibly, in good faith and to maintain the best interest of CWI. Our collective actions must consistently uphold the highest standards of CWI.”
CWI Board of Directors proposed a way forward following a presentation by President Ricky Skerritt of a Board Paper entitled “Governance Reform Report – Next Steps”.
The paper called for the Board of Directors, Territorial Boards and their members, and all stakeholders, to do all that is possible to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the reading, discussion and consultation of the report, which was widely distributed on August 17, 2020.
According to President Skerritt, Senator Don Wehby has offered to make himself and other Task Force members available to provide explanations and facilitate constructive discussion on the report’s findings, if needed. The paper encouraged all stakeholders to engage in any consultation they deemed necessary to help pave the path forward towards implementation.
“There will be COVID19-related timing challenges, and likely political head-winds ahead, but I assure all stakeholders and lovers of West Indies Cricket that I will personally champion the important process of CWI Governance Reform, no matter how long it takes now that CWI has received and distributed such a pragmatic and do-able cricket-centric report from Senator Wehby and his team of highly qualified and experienced advisors,” Skerritt said.
“Hopefully good sense will prevail, and CWI will show the world that we are serious about modernization and improvement.”
According to the Board paper, the first deadline is for the report reading and consultation process to be completed by Friday, October 16, 2020. But that would depend on the ability of Territorial Boards to effectively consult with their membership under the Covid19 protocol group gathering limitations.
During the same period, CWI will be seeking advice on legal processes and actions that would be required to implement the recommendations of the report. The Board paper also calls for final feedback from CWI Board members and Territorial Boards to be documented and submitted to CWI by the middle of November.
Any resulting suggestions and decision-making, including actual resolutions for change of Articles, should be completed by November 26 and put before an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) which CWI hopes can take place face-to-face by the middle of December 2020.
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.
The workshops were held in March and April with the main purpose of building stronger connections between all of the key regional pathway coaches as well as with the CWI High Performance team. Additionally, the workshops were geared towards providing the coaches with ongoing Coach Development opportunities to foster the best possible development environments for the talented players across the region.
The sessions included a mix of on-field and classroom sessions covering a range of topics including CWI online Athlete Management Systems (AMS), Individual Player Plan (IPP) upskilling session, batting against spin, developing tactical awareness through game sense scenarios, CWI High Performance programme insights, programme/game planning, elite talent identification and development.
“The CWI High Performance Unit are adding to the online workshop support that was provided to the coaches last year. This year we are also providing in-tournament support in the form of face-to-face workshops and coach observations both in training and on match days," said CWI Coach Development Manager, Chris Brabazon.
"This allows us to support the growth of the individual coaches whilst also learning more about some of the aspects that may need to be explored further with our broader coaching community.”
The groups of coaches have participated in a series of online workshops in the lead up to their respective tournaments with face-to-face development engagements taking place throughout the tournament.
All workshops were facilitated by CWI High Performance Unit staff including, Jimmy Adams (CWI Director of Cricket), Graeme West (CWI High Performance Manager), Chris Brabazon (CWI Coach Development Manager), Steve Liburd and Rohan Nurse (CWI Talent Pathway Managers).
This initiative is part of CWI’s “Cricket First” strategic plan to invest in building coaching depth and quality across the region, considering the vital role coaches play in developing cricketers’ skills across all age groups and abilities. It provides coaches with opportunities to further learn and develop contemporary coaching philosophies and techniques that will allow them to thrive in the various stages of the West Indies Cricket Pathway.
The next Coach Development Workshops will take place in St Kitts during the upcoming West Indies Women’s Regional Tournaments – the CG United Super50 and the T20 Blaze.
Over the last three years, CWI has accredited over 1000 new coaches across the region ranging from Foundation Courses to Level 3.
The injury is not only a concern for CSK but for CWI, whose selectors picked the 36-year-old Trinidadian in their T20 squad to travel to New Zealand next month. As such, the regional board is keen to be in the know about his rehabilitation.
“We are in contact with him and the CSK medical team, so we are being kept updated with his treatment and recovery,” CWI CEO Johnny Grave told Sportsmax.TV on Sunday.
Meanwhile, CSK have said they do not have a timeline for the recovery of the veteran player.
"He seems to have a right groin injury, I think, and it was obviously serious enough to keep him off the field," CSK head coach Stephen Fleming explained at the post-match press conference on Saturday.
"He will have to be reassessed going forward, but at this stage, you'd imagine it's going to take a few days or a couple of weeks.”
Bravo had arrived for IPL duty in the UAE with an entirely different injury, a knee problem sustained during this season’s CPL. He missed the Super Kings' first three games, as the team had decided to take extra caution.
Recruitment start immediately for a Red Ball Head Coach for Test and ‘A’ Team cricket, as well as a White Ball Head Coach for One-Day Internationals (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) cricket, the governing body said in a statement released on Wednesday.
"After recently completing an independent review of our 2022 ICC World Cup performance, which included a closer look at the roles of the current Head Coach position, we believe it is now necessary to split the role and engage separate coaches for red and white ball formats,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“The increased frequency of back-to-back multi-format tours combined with the specific demands of the respective formats no longer provides enough time for one individual to adequately plan, prepare and review across bilateral series and franchise itineraries that are so condensed.
“Separating the roles will also provide the head coaches with more time to oversee players’ ongoing development away from tours directly, and through increased engagement and planning with suitable high-performance programmes and coaches.”
According to Adams, the decision to separate the head coaching roles stems from the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group that was appointed by CWI to conduct a comprehensive review of the West Indies Men’s team’s early exit from at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
The group was chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and included Brian Lara, the West Indies batting legend, along with former South African, Pakistan, and Sri Lankan international coach, Mickey Arthur.
The position of West Indies Men’s Head Coach became vacant when Phil Simmons resigned following the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and subsequently relinquished the post following the end of the West Indies tour of Australia last December.
Andre Coley is the current interim head coach for the recent Test series in Zimbabwe and the current multi-format tour of South Africa.
The territorial board franchises will be convening to draft the final two players for their squads to play in the forthcoming season, which will hopefully include the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and the West Indies Championship.
The draft will be conducted over two rounds, where each franchise must pick a player in each round. Each franchise will pick two players to add to their pre-selected squad of thirteen (13) protected players, to make a full squad of fifteen (15) players. The franchises will be selecting their two picks from a pool of nearly 100 players.
For the 2021-22 season, each franchise will be allocated a pick number according to their final league position and performance of the franchise in the last West Indies Championship, held in 2019-20 and won by the Barbados Pride (see table below for sequence of draft picks). Each franchise will have 90 seconds in each round to make a pick. Where a selection is not made within this time period, the franchise will miss their turn and will have to wait until all the other franchises have made their selection in that round, before making its selection.
Once the franchises have made their full picks to confirm their fifteen retained players, a total of 90 cricketers across the six franchises will be retained on full-time regional contracts for the next twelve months.
CWI’s Cricket Operations Manager, Roland Holder said, “The draft, now in its eighth (8th) year, demonstrates that CWI remains committed to our professional cricket structure and system, even in these times of uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic. The ninety (90) regional players who will be awarded regional franchise contracts, will be able to train and practice professionally as CWI hopes for a return to normalcy in regional cricket later this year.”
Each choice by each Franchise selection committee will be monitored and recorded by the draft overseer (s), as notified to the Franchises by CWI.
Concerns arising from the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of the region’s Under-15 boys Championship and Under-15 tour of England set for later this year. In addition, the domestic first-class championship was aborted two rounds early with table-topping Barbados declared the winner.
With the Women’s World Cup expected to bowl off early next year, Grave and CWI believe the tournament as a crucial part of the women’s team’s preparations. Instead, the tournaments up for consideration, the Women’s Super50 Cup and inaugural Regional Under-19s Women’s T20 Championship will be pushed forward until later this year.
“They are very important tournaments, not just in terms of the preparation but in terms of the preparation for the selection of those respective squads as we look to compete in the World Cups of those events due to take place in the early part of 2021,” Grave said.
As expected, the official could not a date for the start but insists the CWI would be guided by the medical given to the association.
“Following the advice from our medical advisory committee, we’ve extended the suspension that we announced 10 days ago which was for an initial 30-day period.”
The Betway Group is a leading provider of innovative, entertaining and exciting entertainment across sports betting, casino, bingo and esports betting. Launched in 2006, the company operates across a number of regulated online markets and holds licences in the UK, Malta, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Ireland. Based in Malta and Guernsey, with support from London, Isle of Man and Cape Town, the Betway team comprises over 1,500 people.
The extension will see Betway continue as the Official Betting Partner of CWI, with pitch and broadcast presence at all men’s and women’s International Home Series matches.
The partnership has been broadened so that Betway will also become the Official Betting Partner of the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup, the marquee 50-over tournament in the West Indies. Betway’s partnership will also mean continued support for CWI’s integrity and player education programmes.
“CWI is delighted to extend our relationship with Betway as one of our major partners whose support makes a real difference for the development of international and regional cricket in the West Indies,” said Dominic Warne, CWI Commercial Director in welcoming the extended partnership with Betway.
“The partnership demonstrates the appeal of West Indies cricket in terms of media visibility and content and we are excited that Betway is bringing additional support to the women’s game and the Super50 Cup too.”
Anthony Werkman, Betway CEO, highlighted the strength of the partnership and outlined why it has been extended.
“Cricket is a hugely popular sport and this deal has been the cornerstone of our entry into the game. We are extremely happy to be extending this deal which will bring us to many more fans throughout the world in conjunction with one of the most prestigious international teams,” he said.
Betway’s initial partnership with CWI started with the International Homes Series between West Indies and Sri Lanka in June 2018 and ran through to the International Homes Series against Ireland in January 2020.
The extended partnership will include all men’s and women’s international home matches in the ICC Future Tours Programme until the end of 2022 as well as the next three editions of the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup.
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.
The aim of the initiative is to provide accessible, ongoing personal development opportunities for local coaches to further prepare and inspire them to have a positive impact on the players within their communities.
Former West Indies Captain and current CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams will be involved in the delivery of all events, alongside CWI Coach Development Manager, Chris Brabazon and local Coach Developers Philip Service and Gibbs Williams.
The events will include several two-day practical coaching components of the CWI Competition Coaching Course (Level 1) which will be held at both the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium on the island’s north coast on 5 and 6 December and at the historic Sabina Park in the capital Kingston on 8 and 9 December.
“It has been a massive year for our CWI Coach Development programme with over 40 face-to-face and online courses and workshops delivered to over 730 coaches,” said Brabazon.
“To now be heading back to Jamaica to continue the work alongside such a high calibre line-up of presenters is very exciting and I am sure that the participants, the panel ourselves, and ultimately the local players will gain plenty from the interactions.”
Four CWI Coach Development Workshops will also be held each evening following the preceding accreditation courses. These free workshops are open to all previously accredited coaches and will cover both “Spin Bowling” and “Batting against Spin” on alternate nights. Former West Indies and Jamaica spin bowler, Nikita Miller and current CWI Academy Head Coach, Andre Coley will also be involved in the delivery of these events which will utilise some talented young spin bowlers and batters from each locale.
“The upcoming week is part of CWI’s strategic objective to raise coaching standards across the region through a rigorous coach education and development programme,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“On top of delivering the face-to-face component of the CWI Level 1 course, the specialist workshops will concentrate our efforts to address specific issues affecting our regional game.”
The former president of Cricket West Indies is pushing this vision as he attempts to become the next Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), a platform that will provide him with the opportunity to create a more equitable environment in cricket globally.
It is a job made harder for not having the support of the CWI but Cameron, who needs two votes to become a contender, is confident that he has a legitimate shot against ECB Chairman Colin Grave and possibly India’s Sourav Ganguly.
“I have those votes I don’t think it will change. I am still waiting to hear about Ganguly’s future in the ICC. They have not finalised the election process yet,” said Cameron.
During an interview with Indian Express, Cameron revealed his belief in a longer Indian Premier League (IPL), while noting the irony that the cancellation of the ICC World Cup paved the way for the IPL in the same window.
“The IPL is way a more valuable product than the T20 World Cup. Let’s be very clear about that,” he said. “India will make a lot more money and so too the players. The players themselves would prefer would playing in IPL than the World Cup.
“A lot of T20 leagues need to run concurrently, which is not happening now. Everybody wants to not clash with the other guys. The IPL needs to happen alongside BPL, CPL and Big Bash and the best players will get picked in the best leagues.
“There will be room for everyone including the Indian players who are unsold in the IPL. They have the opportunity to play elsewhere. One has to make a decision on tradition versus profitability.”
That being said, Cameron lamented the lack of growth in the sport, believing it should be played in more non-traditional markets that will make the sport more valuable for all concerned.
“We need to grow in China and other places. It is a plan that has to include India. Any globalisation will require investments from India,” Cameron said.
“A team like the West Indies plays less international games in a year but their players are able to play in the best leagues around the world and then they come to play for the country.
“That way players make more money, their board will not have to spend money on retaining its best players and we focus on the continuous development of the sport with that money.
We are living in a capitalist world. We are trying to talk about tradition versus what the players want. The players want to be paid.
“Yes, Test cricket is great and it is a tradition and it will survive for another few years between the big countries but the truth is smaller counties like Afghanistan and Ireland should not be forced to play Test cricket until they can be competitive. You are wasting resources.”
He continued: “This thing of trying to do more ICC events is not going to help the smaller countries because there is not enough space in the calendar. Test cricket should be a choice for smaller teams like Afghanistan and Ireland, it should not be mandatory.”
The audit, requested by Cameron's successor and conducted by external and independent auditors Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF) raised concerns about an inadequate accounting system that enabled abuses to go unreported and posed a threat to "the board's long-term sustainability."
The audit report singled out Cameron for criticism several times. The Jamaican was president of CWI (previously WICB) from March 2013 until March 2019. Cameron was defeated during a re-election attempt by current president, Ricky Skerritt.
Cameron said he first became aware of the report when contacted for comment by ESPNcricinfo in April.
The businessman is demanding that he is provided with a copy of the audit report from CWI within 48 hours in order to "respond fully" to the "allegations made by PKF."
A letter from Cameron's attorneys stated "our client maintains that he has serious concerns about the credibility of this report, which involved the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee selected and/or appointed by the President or Board.
"In the circumstances, and having regard to the basic principles of fairness and the right of our client to protect his reputation, our client demands, without prejudice to any rights he may now have, a full copy of this report within 48 hours, and the right to respond fully to all of the questions, comments or allegations made by PKF, and statements made by Mr Holding and the President within 21 days.
"Should CWI whether by way of the Board or management or otherwise seek in the meantime to publish the report, or refuse to meet our client's demands for a copy of the report and time to respond, our client will have no alternative but to seek the appropriate orders and remedies from the High Court."
It has been reported that the letter from Cameron's attorneys was received on Monday.
Extracts from the audit report appeared in publications across the region.
West Indies fast-bowling legend and cricket commentator Michael Holding alluded to a couple of sections - though he has not mentioned Cameron.
Ricky Skerritt, the current CWI president, acknowledged in a media statement that the report "uncovered some illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices."
Cameron's attorneys further stated that "the President's statement and especially the use of the word "uncovered" carries the imputation that PKF uncovered previously hidden and unknown material, which justified or warranted the making of serious questions, comments or allegations directed at or against our client as the President of CWI.
"There is no question that Mr Holding believed that the contents of one part of this PKF report raised the real prospect that the offence of money-laundering either occurred, or may have occurred, and/or exposed CWI to the risk of involvement in money-laundering. At all material times, our client was the President of CWI. These allegations have now gone viral throughout the region and elsewhere.
"As indicated above, our client has not seen the report, nor has he been given any opportunity to respond to it, either by PKF or CWI. In fact, at no time did PKF seek to ascertain any fact or comment from him. However, the report or parts thereof were made known to ESPNCricinfo and Mr Holding."
Cameron, 51, was a director of the then West Indies Cricket Board between 2002 and 2019 and was elected president in 2013.
Cameron’s tenure as president was tinged by controversy and conflict with several West Indies players and he lost the presidency to former West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt in 2019.
However, in recent months the Skerritt administration has come in for criticism and the West Indies teams have had a poor run of form in all formats, prompting discussion as to whether Cameron would consider another run at the presidency.
“The first time I ran for a cricket office was 2013 for president of Cricket West Indies. Prior to that my work was what put me forward and persons would come and say we need your help here or we believe you can lead here and there,” Cameron told Sportsmax. TV.
“If I am asked then obviously I would consider it but it would be under different circumstances and the situation is that we would have to find a way to get everybody in agreement because what you don’t want is the fragmentation of the boards, the issues, it’s very difficult.”
He admitted that there isn’t much appeal to stepping back into the hot seat, especially with the myriad of issues affecting the region and sports administration.
“To be honest, West Indies cricket is very difficult. It’s difficult to organize. You’re talking about 16 different countries, different parishes, different views, different races, all those things play a significant role and it’s the challenge we have in the CARICOM,” Cameron reasoned.
LIAT (the airline) has died because the governments of the OECS couldn’t get it together and agree. There is no silver bullet. There is no one man or one woman who can change the fortunes but it’s really a message that everybody could buy into, and that is kind of what I was trying to do.”
He did offer a solution to the issues that ail regional cricket.
“My view is that a merit-driven system is what works,” he said.
“As a region, full of talent, very bright people let us try and focus on a merit-based system, get the best people in all the areas and I think we will start seeing success.”
In a candid conversation on the Ladies Who Switch podcast, Dottin opened up about her thoughts on her retirement from international cricket and the issues she encountered within the cricket establishment. She expressed concern over the lack of attention given to players' needs, both in terms of resources and respect. Dottin stressed that without proper support and a conducive environment, players cannot perform at their best:
"To be honest, there's been a lot going on in the camp and so much I've been through, so many things that needed to be sorted out, and the players not getting the respect and basically the attention because there are things that needed to be done in order for players to actually perform to the best of their ability," she said.
Dottin, who announced her retirement from international cricket a year ago, cited issues with the team environment as a factor in her decision. Her illustrious career spanned 14 years, featuring remarkable achievements like the 2016 T20 World Cup title and the first century in Women's T20 Internationals.
Presently, Dottin is part of a growing trend among cricketers, both male and female, who are opting to focus on franchise tournaments worldwide. She is associated with teams such as Manchester Originals, Adelaide Strikers, Trinbago Knight Riders, and Barmy Army.
In her opinion, the structures of these leagues offer better support than what was available in the West Indies setup.
"This is basically me right now, playing in franchise... Every day is learning a learning curve for me. I'm not too old to learn," she said.
Dottin emphasized the importance of the West Indies Cricket Board learning from the systems in Australia and England, which prioritize player development and progression. She also highlighted the need for consistent support throughout a player's journey.
"You will see a player come into West Indies Cricket and then you actually see they disappear... it's basically like you're getting what you want out of me and then you just throw me aside," she declared.
While the West Indies Women's cricket team has seen successes in recent years, including a T20 World Cup victory, Dottin believes there's room for improvement. She pointed out the significance of the Women's Premier League (WIPL) as a financially attractive alternative, but she emphasized that respect, care, and the right structure for players are paramount.
The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the 2024 CG United Super50 Cup, as four teams emerged from a rain-affected but highly competitive round-robin phase.
Thrilling encounters lie ahead as table-toppers Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Barbados Pride vie for regional limited-overs glory.
Defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force demonstrated why they remain the team to beat, with five wins from their seven matches, building their campaign on exceptional spin bowling and consistent batting performances.
Khary Pierre, who took an exceptional 4-8 in their opening match, Yannic Cariah, and Bryan Charles have proven to be effective bowlers, while the batting partnership of Kjorn Ottley and Amir Jangoo flourished. Their recent win over Barbados Pride, featuring Ottley's unbeaten 112, sent a strong message to the rest of the semifinal line-up.
Jamaica Scorpions recovered from an opening loss to Barbados Pride to secure second place. Carlos Brown's maiden List A century (121) against Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) marked a turning point in their campaign, while Kirk McKenzie's consistent performances and Marquino Mindley's penetrative bowling have provided crucial contributions.
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes have been one of the tournament's most entertaining sides, largely due to Justin Greaves' historic achievement of three consecutive List A centuries (111*, 112, 151*). Their bowling attack, typified by Rahkeem Cornwall's two six-wicket hauls, with the most recent his 6/20 against CCC, provided a perfect complement to their batting strength. Despite three losses, their bonus points collection showed their ability to dominate matches at important times.
Barbados Pride earned their semifinal berth with their ability to win close encounters. Kevin Wickham's century against the Hurricanes and Demetrius Richards' match-winning 65* versus Guyana highlighted their batting depth while captain Kyle Mayers' last-over heroics against the Volcanoes exemplified their fighting spirit.
Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe commented:
This year’s CG United Super50 has already been an improvement over previous years. Teams have been more responsive to the bonus points system and it showed in the quality of the performances. There have been a number of stellar performances and I anticipate a few more as we get to the climax over the next few days. Cricket fans in Trinidad should capitalise on the action and show support in person, as the teams bring this year’s tournament to a close.
The semifinals will be held at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Wednesday 20 November and Thursday 21 November, with the final scheduled for Saturday 23 November at the same venue and time.
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will oppose Barbados Pride at 1pm on Wednesday 20 November, while the Jamaica Scorpions take on Leeward Islands Hurricanes at 1pm on Thursday 21st November.
Teams will be competing for increased prize money with the winners set to receive US$100 000, while the runners-up will take home US$50 000. Both semi-finalists will be rewarded US$25 000 each.
Fans will be able to watch the semifinals and final live on ESPN Caribbean. Overseas fans can catch the action on ESPN+ (USA), BT Sport (UK & Ireland), and FanCode (India).
Tickets are available for all matches at both Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Semi-final tickets cost US$8 / TT$50, with final tickets at US$15 / TT$100. Tickets are also available online at www.tickets.windiescricket.com.
Dr Gonsalves was speaking on Mason on Guest on the Voice of Barbados station on Tuesday night.
Following discussions that began at the start of the month between CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board, it seems likely that the tour will go ahead. CWI CEO Johnny Grave alluded as much when he spoke with Sportsmax.TV recently.
“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 said.
The CWI Board is expected to arrive at a decision on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Dr Gonsalves said that if CWI decides to greenlight the tour, they have his full support.
“Once the CWI is properly advised by the relevant epidemiologists and other persons dealing with the science in England and the Caribbean laying out the facts of the circumstances and the protocols to be applied; and once they are satisfied, and upon a proper interrogation of those protocols, we can send the young men representing the senior West Indies team, that they can go off in cricket battle, I have absolutely no problem with it at all,” Dr Gonsalves said.
Should the tour go ahead the West Indies will play three Tests against England in defence of the Wisden Trophy.
The series, which consists of three Test matches, was scheduled to begin in London on June 4, followed by matches at Edgbaston and Lord's starting on 12 and 25 June respectively. As the world battles to contain the pandemic, playing the series in the heavily hit England looked increasingly unlikely.
Initially, it had been suggested that the West Indies would be willing to step in and host the series, but Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave was quick to paint the suggestion as a highly unlikely scenario.
With all professional halted until May 28, the ECB has had to reckon with the prospect of starting the season later than expected.
The West Indies could have the option of playing the series in two potential windows, either side of their home Test series against South Africa at the end of July. The series could be squeezed in at the start of that month or in September, which would allow England to play their three-Test series against Pakistan as planned in August.
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."
