Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Chris Dehring and President Dr. Kishore Shallow are raising fresh concerns about the inequitable distribution of international cricket revenue, calling for a restructuring of the global financial model that continues to disproportionately benefit the “Big Three” — India, Australia, and England — at the expense of smaller full-member nations like the West Indies.

Speaking in separate but aligned remarks, both executives emphasized the urgent need for fairness as West Indies cricket seeks to remain viable in the increasingly commercialized global game.

“The division of world cricket revenues has always been a vexing issue for the Caribbean, ever since television came into the sport back in the 1990s,” said Dehring. “We saw what was happening then, and we could predict what would happen with our small economies. The chickens have come home to roost.”

Dehring noted that while resource disparity has long been an issue for West Indies, the current system is now starting to impact other smaller cricketing nations as well — potentially creating momentum for a wider conversation on reform.

“We’re hoping we can continue the dialogue and debate to encourage a restructuring of world cricket’s finances. India can’t constantly play against Australia and England every year — that product will not be sustainable,” he added. “The world needs a healthy West Indies product.”

Dehring also highlighted the Caribbean’s deep historical and cultural contributions to global cricket, particularly in the rise of the limited-overs formats.

“The limited-overs form was created to encourage others to play the way West Indies naturally played. The celebration of cricket with music, culture and joy — born right here in Antigua and expanded across the region — is what evolved into the wonderful product we now call T20. Our contribution to the world game is indisputable.”

CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow echoed those sentiments, stressing the global value of West Indies cricket and the need for strategic positioning as the game grows.

“When we missed out on the ODI World Cup last year, that was a serious blow to the ICC and the tournament. I’m sure 10% of you didn’t even follow the Champions Trophy because West Indies wasn’t there,” said Shallow. “This is the case globally — everyone at ICC understands the relevance of West Indies cricket.”

While advocating for a fairer global revenue structure, Shallow emphasized that CWI must also control what it can — by strengthening its product and growing the game within and beyond its borders.

“One of the challenges we face is how rapidly the game is growing — both men’s and women’s cricket. Any other sport would see that as a positive,” he said. “We’ve started positioning ourselves to optimise these opportunities. We’ve held meetings with Canada, visited Peru, and are building partnerships across the Americas.”

With continued development at the academy level and a renewed focus on on-field performance under Head Coach Daren Sammy and Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, CWI hopes to keep West Indies cricket competitive and commercially relevant, even in an unequal playing field.

“Ultimately, we must remain relevant in global cricket,” Shallow concluded. “That is what we can control, and that is where our focus will remain — while we continue pushing for a more equitable future.”