West Indies legends call for dissolution of WICB

Image
Press Trust of India Grenada
Last Updated : Apr 20 2016 | 9:42 PM IST
West Indian cricket legends, including Garry Sobers and Vivian Richards have demanded the "dissolution" of WICB and a formation of an interim board in place of the "obsolete" body.
On April 14, converging under the umbrella banner of Cricket Legends, Sobers and Richards, accompanied by Wes Hall and Andy Roberts, met with Grenada premier Keith Mitchell, chairman of the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket, which appointed the CARICOM cricket review panel in the wake of the crisis that emerged following the West Indies' withdrawal from India's tour in October 2014.
"During the last two decades, many different presidents and CEOs have led the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and yet, its performance has declined steadily with each passing year," the Legends said in a joint media release.
"The Board is an oligarchic structure that considers itself answerable to no one but itself. It is one of the few sporting institutions that have remained virtually unchanged in attitude and structure in the last 70 years or more."
Even the most powerful cricketing board, BCCI, the Legends observed, was under pressure from India's Supreme Court to bring in structural changes in the running of the sport.
"Inexplicably, the WICB prefers to maintain the status quo and yet, it expects to get different results while it continues to do the same things," the release said.
"We believe that revival of West Indies cricket will only happen when the Board undergoes structural adjustment, and when it improves the quality of its communication and leadership, and upgrades the management of key relationships."
They further stated in the release, "We are very proud of our legacy. We cannot now in good conscience stand idly by and watch everything that we fought so hard to build and achieve disappear right before our eyes because of the actions of inept Board members and an incompetent Board."
The Legends' wish-list included immediate resignation of all current WICB directors, establishment of an interim board, and formation of a new board structure, among others.
The five-member review panel comprising Murray, V Eudine Barriteau, Sir Dennis Byron, Dwain Gill and Warren Smith concluded its report on October 15, in which it described the WICB as "obsolete".
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 20 2016 | 9:42 PM IST

Next Story