Caribbean360: CARICOM intervenes in Windies cricket

CARICOM intervenes in Windies cricket
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Chris Hoyos on 06/07/2011 10:14:00
 
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Wednesday July 6, 2011 - In the wake of a chorus of calls
for CARICOM to intervene in the controversy surrounding the West Indies Cricket
Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), the region's Heads
of Government have decided to re-activate the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on
Cricket.
CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr Denzil Douglas,
told journalists at the closing press conference of the leaders' summit that the
Sub-Committee would be “rejuvenated to address critical issues regarding the
future of West Indies Cricket and to engage both the WICB and WIPA in an effort
to resolve their on-going dispute.”
He said that there was a need to address the issue of ownership of West Indies
Cricket: “Who owns West Indies Cricket; is it the Board, the players or the
Caribbean peoples?” Chairman Douglas queried.
The Sub-Committee comprises Heads of Government from Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis
as ex-officio member. Antigua and Barbuda will chair the Committee.
Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo weighed in on the matter, emphasizing that the
Sub-committee must address longstanding issues of compensation and commercial
rights of players, both of which, he stated, had plagued every tour and created
“too much acrimony before and during the game.”
“These issues beg the attention of Heads and we gotta do something about them
now,” he asserted.
Suriname’s President Desi Bouterse felt that what was needed was a more
professional approach to sport for development in the region.
He mentioned that Suriname had taken the lead in that by establishing a regional
sports academy, which he believed would give to young people all the
opportunities to channel their talents for the good of themselves and society at
large.
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