ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Donald Peters has resigned from the post of Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board with immediate effect, the regional governing body announced last evening.
No official reasons were given by the WICB for Peters’ sudden departure which makes him the fourth CEO that has left the position in the last seven years.
But he told CBC Radio in Barbados that he was leaving for personal reasons, and noted that his mother was ill in the American city of Boston, so he planned to spend the next few months taking care of her.
Peters’ time at the helm of the WICB has been rocky, and he’s had to battle with a number of unflattering issues.
The most recent was the latest standoff between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association over terms and conditions which led to a strike by players in the regional first-class competition, as well as threats for similar action by players on the West Indies team.
Under Peters, a Test was aborted in the Caribbean for the second time, when only 10 balls were possible in the second match of a scheduled four-Test series between West Indies and England in March at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground because of an excessively sandy outfield.
The outgoing WICB CEO was fired then re-hired, following an embarrassing episode, when details of renovations to an office in St. Lucia for WICB President Julian Hunte were leaked to the Press.
Peters also presided over the management of the WICB at a time, when West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was found guilty of alleged links to an Indian bookmaker.
A Dominican, Peters was appointed to the post two Novembers ago, following the resignation of Bruce Aanansen.
Peters came to the job with an exceptionally successful track record at senior management level in several different academic institutions, and a deep involvement in sports, but leaves following modest success.
Hunte said in a news release that the WICB will immediately commence the recruitment process to find a replacement and advised that further information on the post will be available on its website, windiescricket.com.
In the interim, former Guyana captain and West Indies opener Stephen Camacho will act in the position which he formerly held before health concerns forced him from the job nine years ago.
