• Recruiting specialist coaches; HPC revival among measures

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) has announced a series of immediate and long-term reforms to strengthen West Indies cricket following an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee held in August.

In the Short term (0-6 months), CWI will begin the recruitment of Specialist Coaches. This includes the hiring of an internationally proven batting coach and a full-time sports psychologist/ performance coach to join the senior men’s team. The women’s team role will also be upgraded to a full-time role.

CWI also announced the revival of the High-Performance Centre Project, A capital project proposal to be advanced for a state-of-the-art facility at Coolidge Cricket Ground, including modern nets, gym, and rehabilitation infrastructure.

Greater accountability is also a short-term measure where franchise teams will now submit Individual Development Plans and meet new minimum standards. Player fitness will be closely tracked, supported by a new regional fitness leaderboard.

Further actions (medium to long term) include a national cricket development framework unifying grassroots, school, academy, and high-performance pathways, comprehensive franchise reform to ensure accountability for player development and consideration of alternative professional models and establishment of standardised academies for ages 11–18 to feed into the High-Performance Program.

The completion of the High-Performance Centre in Antigua as the regional hub for elite development, greater focus on financial sustainability, including lobbying for equitable ICC revenue distribution and new partnerships with governments, private entities, and philanthropists and a structured mentorship framework connecting current and former West Indies players with emerging talent also forms part of the long-term plans.

The session brought together a wide cross-section of key stakeholders, including West Indies legends Brian Lara and Sir Clive Lloyd, captains Shai Hope and Roston Chase, Head Coach and team management, and former players such as Anthony Gray and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

The list was presented to and approved by CWI’s Board of Directors during their quarterly meeting on September 25.

CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe said:

“These reforms represent decisive action to strengthen our systems, raise standards, and provide the next generation of players with the tools, facilities, and mentorship they need to succeed. While challenges remain, our commitment to cricket development across the region is unwavering, and all efforts will be made to prioritize the execution of these initiatives.”