If the thoughts and talks between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are to materialise then the Caribbean could have another Twenty20 competition.
 
This, as CPL's CEO Pete Russell and CWI's vice-president Azim Bassarath indicate that discussions regarding another competition, are on course. That competition, which would complement the CPL, would be geared towards unearthing and developing fresh talent for the regional game.
 
Russell, while declaring CPL's commitment to play its part in the process, pointed out that it is not their role to unearth the next generation of players for the Caribbean.
 
“Yes, we’re going to be part of the solution, but I think that (unearthing players) is probably CWI’s remit, not ours,” Russell told Trinidad Express.
 
“We feel that’s an important part of any cricket system, even CPL. So, we want to support that in as big a way as possible. I’m hoping we can get to a place where we can put that tournament on,” he added.
Former West Indies white-ball skipper Kieron Pollard and a CWI independent review committee comprising Patrick Thompson, Brian Lara and Mickey Arthur called for the hosting of a secondary T20 tournament to properly develop the next generation of Caribbean T20 players.
 
 
It is for that reason, why Russell and CWI have engaged discussions.
 
“A lot of planning has gone into it. It’s down, as it always is, to dollars and cents, so we’re just seeing how best to do it. We’ve got a lot of work to do before we get there but look everyone is committed to doing it,” Russell declared.
 
Meanwhile, Bassarath said CWI and CPL have recognised that the talent is not really coming through in any part of the Caribbean as was the case when the CPL first started.
 
“There are discussions going on and I am quite sure that something has to be done to make sure that the talent we have in Caribbean is exposed and developed, and it will serve CPL’s interest as well to make sure we continue to produce quality cricketers that are needed to ensure the tournament, which is the second best T20 franchise league in the world, continues to flourish,” Bassarath shared.
 
“I think they (CPL) will have a part to play in getting involved in the development of the game and helping to produce quality players that is needed for the CPL and for West Indies cricket,” he noted.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Azim Bassarath believes the West Indies have set up an excellent platform for a strong challenge at next June’s ICC World T20 in the Caribbean.

The Cricket West Indies vice-president commented in light of the Caribbean cricketers’ exciting 3-2 victory over defending World Cup champions England in the T20I series which ended on Thursday with a four-wicket win for the home team at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The home team also triumphed 2-1 in the five-match ODI rubber which preceded the T20s.

“The win was not surprising, since March the West Indies have been performing well having beaten South Africa and India in white ball cricket,” said Bassarath.

He said the men in Maroon clearly showed they were hungry for success and obviously enjoyed playing as a unit under Darren Sammy.

“Their superlative string of wins against very good competition augers well for the future with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, in front of their home crowd,” said the TTCB boss.

Bassarath also welcomed allrounder Andre Russell who distinguished himself on his return to the West Indies set-up after a lengthy lay-off.

He said Russell brought new energy into the team and looks like he’s enjoying his cricket having experienced a very rewarding T20I series against England.

In the first match which the home team won by four wickets, Russell took 3 for 19 and scored an unbeaten 29 from 14 balls to cop the Man of The Match award.

In the second match he scored 14 runs from 10 balls, and a poor bowling performance in which his four overs scored 66 runs as the West Indies won edged out a ten-run win.

In the third match, he scored just eight runs and took one wicket as England won by seven wickets. In the next game, he kept the innings alive with 51 runs from 25 balls after he took one wicket but the visitors levelled the series 2-2 with a massive 75-run victory.

Finally, in the fifth and deciding match he took two wickets for 25 runs and scored three runs as the Caribbean team won by four wickets.

Bassarath said Russell’s contribution was telling and that he was also was very influential in the team’s dressing room helping in strategizing especially for the fifth match.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) issued a statement Saturday in response to the concerns raised by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) regarding the validity of the election for the position of Vice President during the Annual General Meeting held on March 25, 2023.

In a letter dated October 4, 2023, the GCB had expressed doubts about the fairness and legality of the election process. They claimed that they had officially withdrawn their nomination of Mr. Azim Bassarath for the position of Vice President during the AGM. The GCB is demanding Bassarath’s resignation adding that if he fails to demit office they will seek legal recourse.

CWI, in its statement, affirmed its confidence in the fairness and transparency of the election process, asserting that it had been conducted with utmost regard for the rights, views, and opinions of all stakeholders of CWI Inc. Furthermore, CWI highlighted that after the conclusion of the election, the elected Vice President had received congratulations and unwavering support from all shareholder members.

The Board of Cricket West Indies emphasized that they had thoroughly examined the concerns raised by the GCB and affirmed that the election for the Vice President position had been carried out in strict accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the organization. They reiterated their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all their operations, including elections.

Despite the ongoing dispute, CWI expressed its dedication to finding an amicable resolution to the matter, stressing the importance of unity among shareholders and the cricketing community at large. The Board implored the members of the GCB to prioritize the interests of cricket above all else.

CWI remains steadfast in its mission to promote and develop the sport in the region and hopes that all parties involved can come together to resolve this matter promptly and harmoniously.

The GCB had previously sent a letter to CWI President Kishore Shallow, asserting that the process leading to Bassarath's appointment as Vice President was "flawed and illegal" in their opinion. They claimed to have withdrawn their nomination of Mr. Azim Bassarath for the post of Vice President during the AGM.

In a virtual meeting held at CWI's request on September 21, the GCB reiterated their stance on Bassarath's appointment, asserting that he was "illegally occupying the position" and should step down to facilitate a new and legal process. The GCB had expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of that meeting.

In their recent letter dated October 4, the GCB made it clear that they had "unanimously decided to demand the resignation" of Bassarath and indicated that non-compliance within 14 days would result in "legal recourse."

 

 

 Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow hasnextended his warmest congratulations to Vice-President Azim Bassarath and former West Indies spinner and double T20 World Cup winner Samuel Badree on their remarkable achievement of receiving the prestigious Hummingbird Medal (HBM) Gold Award at the 2023 National Awards of Trinidad & Tobago.

The awards ceremony took place on Sunday, 24 September, at the historic President's House in St Ann's, Port-of-Spain.

 The Hummingbird Medal Gold Award is one of Trinidad & Tobago's highest honors, recognizing exceptional contributions and achievements in various fields. Vice President Bassarath's and Badree’s outstanding dedication and contributions to the sport of cricket have earned them this well-deserved recognition in the highest grade of the HBM.

 President Shallow expressed his pride in Vice President Bassarath’s accomplishments, saying, "I am delighted to congratulate Vice President Azim Bassarath on receiving the Hummingbird Medal Gold award. His commitment to cricket and his tireless efforts in promoting the sport have been instrumental in our pursuit of excellence at CWI. This recognition is a testament to his unwavering passion and dedication to the game not only in Trinidad & Tobago but at a regional level."

"Since his election in March 2023, Vice President Azim Bassarath has been an integral part of the CWI leadership team, playing a pivotal role in the development of cricket. Over the years, he has been a champion of Women’s cricket, ensuring a robust development programme exists in Trinidad and Tobago."

The CWI President continued: "Samuel Badree has etched his name on the pages of history as a member of the victorious T20 World Cup squads in 2012 and 2016. No doubt, he continues to make an invaluable contribution to the sport through his academy, coaching, and commentary, inspiring a new generation of players.

"Badree founded and operates the Badree’s Academy of Sports Education (BASE), which facilitates over 100 children in Trinidad and Tobago. He continues to be an ambassador for his country as a commentator in global events such as World Cups, CPL, IPL and for West Indies Home Internationals. Badree is a level three coach and works as a mentor to West Indies spinners. The Hummingbird Medal Gold Award of Trinidad & Tobago is a fitting tribute to Vice President Bassarath and Badree’s remarkable achievements and their dedication to cricket. It serves as an inspiration to all cricket enthusiasts and showcases the profound impact that cricket has on the Caribbean community.

" CWI extends its heartfelt congratulations to Vice President Azim Bassarath and Samuel Badree on this prestigious accolade and looks forward to their continued contributions to the development and success of West Indies cricket."

For their many years of exemplary service to the sport of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, cricket administrator Azim Bassarath and former player Samuel Badree received the Hummingbird Medal Gold at the twin-island republic’s National Awards Ceremony held on Sunday at President’s House.

The Hummingbird Medal may be awarded to any person (citizen as well as non-citizen) who has rendered loyal and devoted service beneficial to Trinidad and Tobago in any field of human endeavour or for gallantry or other humane action.

It may be awarded in Gold, Silver or Bronze in accordance with the assessed level of the service rendered.

Bassarath, the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and Vice President of Cricket West Indies was recognized for his work as a cricket administrator. When he became CWI Vice President in March this year, Bassarath became the first administrator from the country to serve in that role.

Under his watch, Trinidad and Tobago has produced some of that country’s finest cricketers including Kieron Pollard and Badree, who was honoured for his work in sport and education.

Badree, who is also now a commentator, was a member of West Indies' T20 World Cup winning teams in 2012 and 2016. The 42-year-old former leg spinner has also been an educator for over two decades and is the chairman of Badree’s Academy of Sport Education.

Badree has also served as an administrator and is a former secretary of the south zone cricket council of the TTCB.

Daren Ganga, Dinanath Ramnarine, and a group of other cricket administrators were dealt a major blow on Tuesday when the Trinidad and Tobago High Court ordered them to pay over TT$1 million to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).

The administrators had been challenging the TTCB's constitution, arguing that it was unfair to incumbent officers. They specifically took issue with the fact that incumbent officers start with 12 votes in the election of executive officers, giving them a significant advantage over challengers. However, the High Court ruled that the administrators' arguments were "fundamentally flawed" and that the TTCB's constitution was "not unfair." The court also ordered the administrators to pay the TTCB's legal costs, which amounted to over TT$1 million.

The defeat is a major setback for the administrators, who have been battling the TTCB for many years. It is also a victory for the TTCB, which has been under fire for its governance in recent years. The administrators have said that they will appeal the decision, but it is unclear if they will be successful. The High Court's ruling is a major victory for the TTCB, and it is likely to deter other challenges to the board's constitution.

The defeat is also a blow to Ganga and Ramnarine, who are both former West Indies cricketers. They had hoped to use their experience and influence to reform the TTCB, but the High Court's ruling has made that task much more difficult.

Dr Kishore Shallow was elected unopposed as the new president of Cricket West Indies at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting in Antigua on Saturday. He will have Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board President Asim Bassarath as his vice president.

Dr. Shallow succeeds Ricky Skerritt, who decided not to seek a third term. Skerritt became president in 2019 after defeating three-term president Dave Cameron in Kingston.

The new president, who also leads the Windward Islands Cricket Board, has promised significant changes to the way the CWI operates going forward. Those changes will manifest atop four key pillars that include cricket development; human capital, commercial and marketing as well as governance.

In a recent interview, Dr Shallow said he intends to invest in the development of young cricketers from the grassroots to the senior level while establishing a culture of pride and passion for West Indies cricket.

The new president also plans to incorporate modern-day best practices that align with Caribbean culture as well as implementing a viable and lucrative commercial model to enhance revenue streams for Cricket West Indies.

Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago are to participate on a bilateral regional U13 cricket tournament set to run from December 10-17, 2022, the Guyana Cricket Board has announced.

According to the GCB, the tournament to be held in Guyana complements Cricket West Indies’ plans of two-year incremental development programs.

Consequently, it is expected that the Under-13 players will be adequately exposed to competitive cricket which is hoped will facilitate their growth and development for future GCB’s two-year incremental development programs such as the National Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 training programmes.

The GCB has established structured cricket development programmes for their Under-11, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, and Senior levels.

The Under-11s are being prepared through the Republic Bank Five for Fun Cricket Development programme.

Additionally, the GCB and Republic Bank are in the planning stages of initiating a national Under-23 Inter-Club Tournament.

President of the GCB Bissoondyal Singh expressed delight at being able to positively engage the President of the TTCB Azim Bassarath.

“Both territorial boards are keen on exposing our future professional cricketers at an early age to the highest competitive standards possible. We recognize the need for children to develop their art, bowling, batting, and fielding in a fun-related manner,” he said.

“However, we strongly believe that players in the Under-13 age group can begin to challenge their minds a bit more than is currently being done. Learning cricket techniques is good but executing the respective skills in competitive environments will set the players on a greater path to success.”

President Singh added that the U13 initiative paves the way for a regional Under-13 tournament.

“We believe in promoting the training aspects of cricket so that players can inculcate the recommended practices for the game as well as a person,” he said.

“Our planned cricket academy which will cater to the needs of players ages seven to 17, is geared at making our players rounded cricketers. In addition to technical and skill development, our academy focuses on areas of cricket laws, scoring, match referee and umpire duties and etiquette including personal communication, interviewing as a priority activity, and psychology.”

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