President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, pledges support to Cricket West Indies (CWI) for the redevelopment of cricket in the Caribbean through infrastructural development, cricket programmes, and commercial opportunities.
On 13 October, 2023, President Ali and CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow, met at State House in Guyana as part of the commitment to strengthen stakeholder relationships across the region. CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe; CWI Independent Director, Manniram Prashad; and Owner of Guyana Amazon Warriors, Dr. Ranjisinghi Bobby Ramroop were also in attendance.
The Head of State reiterated his commitment to establishing a partnership with CWI to improve the overall performance of West Indies cricket. One of the primary objectives will be establishing a High-Performance Centre in Guyana to service cricketers from across the region.
His Excellency said, “We are excited as a government to play our part with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) in the new re-development of cricket in the region. We welcome the partnership with CWI in the development of a regional High-Performance Centre and cricket academy here in Guyana."
He added his intention to work with the CWI President to advance the popularity and growth of the sport on multiple fronts in the Caribbean.
"We are also working with President Dr. Shallow and Cricket West Indies on advancing some innovative ideas in bringing more opportunities to our cricket players and spectators in the Region. I believe strongly that defining our product as distinct from other regions and countries is critical in the rebranding and repositioning CWI globally. Such a plan must incorporate the culture, people and natural beauty of our region."
President Ali underscored the importance of collaboration between parties with an interest in advancing the development of cricket at every level. He said, “I urge CWI to unify their efforts in rebuilding and strengthening our cricket in the interests of all stakeholders.”
Dr. Shallow lauded His Excellency for Guyana’s investments in cricket thus far and recognized the potential of collaborating with Guyana. He expressed, “President Ali’s commitment to cricket is evident with the major investments to stage the magnificent cricket festival, including the CPL finals in Guyana. His zeal for the success of West Indies cricket is unquestionable. This partnership with Guyana promises tremendous value for our young and emerging cricketers who will have access to world-class facilities and programs comparable to the best in the world. I emphasize that for West Indies teams to be iconic again, it is imperative that there is considerable collaboration between CWI and governments in our region.”
Guyana has successfully hosted the last two Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals. Their cricket festival, culminating with CPL's final, is emerging to be a regional calendar event, having attracted thousands of visitors to Guyana.