Cricket West Indies director Kerwin John: Absent boards at meeting a betrayal of trust

TOBAGO Cricket Association (TCA) president and Cricket West Indies (CWI) director Kerwin John has slammed the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for failing to show up to CWI's critical governance reform meeting on December 6.

The no-show by two of the six territorial boards led to the adjournment of the meeting as a quorum was not met.

Via a media release from the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) on December 13, John said the selfish motives of the BCA and GCB will not stop the Kishore Shallow-led CWI from making a positive dent on the cricket landscape in the region.

"The BCA and the GCB did a great disservice to regional cricket by their shocking action which can be only described as a dereliction of duty, and a betrayal of the trust placed in them by the people who put them in office," the TTCB release said.

"It was surprising to many that the BCA and the GCB would go to such lengths to make the CWI, to which they belong, look bad in the eyes of the West Indian public, and indeed the international cricket community," said John, who was elected for a sixth consecutive term as the TCA president after defeating former TT Red Force player Navin Stewart at the polls on November 30.

John said, "the desperate move by the two dissident stakeholders is doomed to failure."

The meeting was convened to vote on implementing governance reforms proposed by the Wehby report, which aims to modernise CWI's governance framework. The meeting was expected to address key proposals, including adjustments to introduce term limits, the term durations for the president and vice-president, and other areas designated to strengthen the board's governance structure.

CWI said due notice for the meeting was issued on November 13 in accordance with CWI's Articles of Association, and the no-show by the BCA and GCB was the second instance the two territorial boards opted not to attend a meeting. The first instance was in 2021.

The other full member shareholders – Jamaica Cricket Association, Leeward Islands Cricket Board, TTCB and the Windward Islands Cricket Board – were in attendance and ready to participate in the virtual meeting.

CWI said the GCA formally indicated their non-attendance, with no formal response coming from the BCA.

John's statements follows on the heels of fellow CWI director Arjoon Ramlal, who knocked the BCA and GCB for trying to "stymie the progressive push reform overwhelmingly sought by the other members and CWI board."

John said the BCA and GCB will not succeed in stalling that progress.

"The CWI under Dr Shallow will remain committed to placing cricket first and not give in to selfish and ulterior inclinations, judging from the support we have received for governance changes from all across the Caribbean, including the public in Barbados and Guyana."