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DESPITE the many naysayers, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Ricky Skerritt and Vice-president, Dr Kishore Shallow, are patting themselves on the back after their first year in office.

In a one-year review, released recently, and based on the 10-point “Cricket First Plan”, that was the foundation of the 2019 election campaign, the duo said they are proud to report on the transformational changes now taking place at Cricket West Indies “after one year of our leadership.” They also alluded to and praised the input and implementation from many other stakeholders.

The report pointed out that “we are especially pleased with the high level of enthusiasm that the rebuilding of relationships has aroused amongst cricketers, coaches, management, staff, and fans. But we are also aware that this enthusiasm has lifted expectations.
“At the start of our tenure, CWI teams were all ranked at the bottom of all ICC ladders, and we are mindful that those rankings have not yet improved. Although we know that there are no quick-fixes for climbing the performance ladders, we are firmly committed to the philosophy that improving the capacity, efficiency, accountability, transparency and financial well-being of the entire CWI organization, on and off the field, is a pre-requisite for improving on-field results.

Skerritt and Shallow also disclosed that they are also re-establishing the proper role of the CWI Board, of oversight and policy making. “The professional executive management must be encouraged, and allowed, to carry out approved policy without undue, or confusing, interference.

“Our vision is for CWI to truly become both a trustee and a designer of West Indies Cricket, as “A Public Good”. CWI’s main challenge now is to partner effectively with the cricket community and with all public and private stakeholders, to attract and gather together as much of the young talent in our region as possible, and to help them to develop into thoughtful, hard-working, and proud West Indians.

It is also the view of the President and Vice-president that CWI must develop, operate, and sustain a cricket system that is built on a foundation of heritage, global standards, proven best practices, and competent expertise. This cricket system must produce more disciplined, skillful, and confident cricketers, most of whom should be self-motivated and battle-ready.

Touching on the current virus that’s affection almost the entire world, the reports said, “as we prepare to deliver this report, Coved-19 pandemic-related uncertainty is rapidly changing the global market for every product, service, or event. Unprecedented disruptive challenges are increasingly emerging for professional sports, including cricket. But even in the midst of this unpredictable outlook, we continue to believe that the best way forward is for all stakeholders to work responsibly and strategically, together. (Frederick Halley)