By Dr Rudy Webster

SOMEONE once said that if you want to predict how managers and administrators are likely to behave and perform at work, look at their motivational profiles and hierarchy of values, not just their talent or skill.For years, West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) overriding motivation has been the need for power, control, recognition and self-preservation, hence its authoritarian style of leadership, its self-delusion and its inflated sense of worth. Instead of focusing on the growth, development, welfare and performance of its players, it is continually consumed by its power, needs and desires. This is a prescription for failure and disaster.
The Board rejected the recommendations of the CARICOM Governance Review Panel months ago as impractical, unnecessary and intrusive. Since then nothing has changed. As expected, the Board reinforced its position at a WICB meeting in Jamaica just a few days ago.
At the same time that the Board was dismissing the prime ministers of the region and the CARICOM Report, Cameron was calling on Caribbean governments to join forces with the WICB to invest financially in the rebuilding of its overall cricket programme. Cameron is sending a very strong message to the Caribbean prime ministers, “We don’t want your advice, just give us your money.”
After the 27th Inter-sessional Meeting in Belize a few weeks ago, CARICOM prime ministers unanimously affirmed that the recommendations of the Governance Review Panel must be implemented and stressed that they will explore all options to see that this is done. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell explained that the WICB would not have the final say on whether the report’s recommendation will be implemented.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Giles Clarke the president of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and one of the chief architects of the Big Three takeover is set to be called before the UK Parliament to answer questions and explain his role in the controversial ICC structural reform of February 2014, in which the Boards of England, Australia and India took control of cricket’s finances.
The Select Parliamentary Committee wants to look into the conduct and governance of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in relation to international cricket. The committee has already had hearings with Greg Dyke, the FA chairman, over FIFA corruption; Sebastian Coe, IAAF president, over doping in athletics; and Chris Kermode of ATP over match-fixing in tennis. The Committee wants to know if cricket is a clean sport.
Committee member Damian Collins, the Conservative MP for Folkestone and Hythe, has asked the ECB to answer six specific and pointed questions pertaining to Clarke’s ongoing role and the Board’s overall commitment to good governance. He believes that ‘the cricketing public deserve to know the answers”.
There are a few things that the cricketing public in the West Indies also deserve to know. Perhaps a similar CARICOM committee should summon president Cameron to answer the seven questions below.
Pat Rousseau, a former president of the WICB, asked some of these questions a while ago but so far they have not been answered.

QUESTIONS:
1. Why were you unwilling to support the group led by Pakistan to block the takeover by the Big Three when your vote would have put an end to the efforts of England, Australia and India?
2. Why did you sign the Big Three agreement when you knew that WICB would automatically lose $43M?
3. Are you aware that there is no provision in the Constitution for an Executive President?
4. Are you paid by the Board as an Executive President? If so, are you aware that those payments are ultra vires because they are not provided for in the Constitution and may have to be refunded?
5. What are you paid by the Board in respect of your duties as Chairman and for what you do on behalf of the Board?
6. Why is Part 1 of the Lucky Report on the WICB website and not Part 2 that criticises the actions of President Griffith, Roger Brathwaite and Dave Cameron?
7. During your presidency the DIGICEL Contract was renewed. Does it contain the same provision requiring the sponsor to pay sponsorship fee to the DIGICEL agent giving him authority to deduct money from that payment before paying the Board?
The WICB has more or less declared war on CARICOM prime ministers and clearly has no intention of searching for a mutually beneficial solution. The Board must understand that West Indies cricket does not belong to twelve board members. It belongs to the players, the coaches, the clubs, the territories, the schools, the governments, the press, the people of the Caribbean and the millions of people around the world who are dying to see a competitive West Indies team again.
It is time for CARICOM governments to step forward and flex their muscles. As Prime Minister Errol Barrow of Barbados used to say, “The Board must be brought to Christian understanding.” In addition to insisting that the questions above be answered fully and truthfully, governments should deny WICB the use of their grounds and stadia.
They should also demand a detailed forensic audit of the governance of the WICB.