CWI director slams Guyana, Barbados absence from meeting

THE shocking decision by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) to boycott the  important December 6 Cricket West Indies meeting on governance reform has been criticised for being “undemocratic.”

The no-show by two of the six territorial boards meant the meeting had to be adjourned as a quorum was not met.

As a result, the expected vote could not be taken on implementing crucial reforms proposed by the much-heralded Wehby Report, which aims to modernise CWI’s governance framework.

On December 8, one of TT’s CWI directors, Arjoon Ramlal, questioned the bona fides of the representatives of the two absentee territorial boards. Ramlal is also chairman of CWI’s governance committee, which has been laying the groundwork for the landmark vote.

“We are greatly disappointed at the turn of events, which was unexpected after much work had been done to reach the point of gaining the endorsement of the CWI shareholders for the much-needed reform of the governance principles that everyone has been clamouring for,” said Ramlal.

The governance committee chair elaborated, “It has been a lengthy and comprehensive process, including broad consultation with stakeholders, meetings of the governance committee, and deliberations at the CWI board level.”

He said  in the lead-up to the vote, there was never an inkling from any member of the GCB or the BCA about concerns they now "trumpet" in a joint statement seeking to justify their "rebellious behaviour."

“In any event, the CWI is a democratic body with a principled code of conduct where it is unheard of for actions taken by two dissenting associations to stymie the progressive push for reform overwhelmingly sought by the other members and CWI board.”

The session was expected to address significant proposals, including adjustments to introduce term limits, term durations for the president and vice-president, and other measures designed to strengthen CWI’s governance structure.

In a media release, CWI said the GCB formally indicated its non-attendance, while the BCA did respond.

“This marks the second time that both the GCB and BCA have refused to attend a meeting of the members, the first instance occurring in 2021,” the release said.
The GCB also chose not to attend the special meeting on September 20 to elect a vice-president after a relentless campaign by its board for the re-election.

Ramlal said  he fully supports the stance of the president of CWI, Dr Kishore Shallow, who said despite the setback, the regional organisation remains committed to the governance reform process and will explore all options to ensure the necessary steps are taken to implement the Wehby Report recommendations.

“We all agree that following the historic meeting convened by Dr Keith Rowley, the TT Prime Minister and chairman of the Caricom Sub-Committee on Cricket at the Hyatt earlier this year, governance reform was imperative. With Dr Shallow’s incremental approach, which is sensible and practical, there has been some positive progress,” Ramlal said.
“At this crucial juncture of West Indies cricket, we cannot afford the intrigue caused by the unfortunate and reckless actions undermining the development of West Indies cricket.”

Tthe former educator, who was recently awarded Administrator of the Year by the TTCB at its 2024 Awards Function, said he was hopeful that good sense will prevail among the GCB and the BCA, which will allow CWI to strengthen its governance structure and safeguard the future of regional cricket.