BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Following is the full report and recommendations of the governance review panel which was appointed by CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial Committee on Cricket.
A.Overview
This final Report of the CARICOM Cricket Review Panel is the outcome of three months of consultation, interviews, deliberations, and meetings by a five member panel of CARICOM citizens appointed by the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket. The composition of the panel, its terms of reference and the list of interviewees are presented in Appendices I – III. The main mandate of the Panel was to review the administrative and governance structure of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and submit its recommendation through the CARICOM Secretary-General to the Chairman of the Cricket Governance Committee, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada. This is the Panel’s submission.
B.Introduction: The Existing Governance Structure
Caribbean societies and the West Indies game of cricket have changed drastically since the origins of the latter in its organized, competitive form in the British colonial Caribbean, in the mid to late nineteenth century. In the twenty-first century, the game of cricket is now embedded in the global, corporate world of business. Caribbean people continue to experience excitement or despair about what happens on every field of play, to agonize about the fortunes, successes, failures or foibles of the West Indies teams; but Caribbean cricket is far more than the public’s support and consumption of West Indies cricket.
Cricket today constitutes a global, multi-billion dollar social and economic enterprise. The responsibility for delivery of this product at the present time, given the corporate structure of the WICB, falls to the shareholders, comprised of the six territorial boards, and the overarching, regional West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The shareholders of West Indies cricket, led by the WICB, however, rely on the active involvement of other stakeholders of the game to deliver its product. These include several Caribbean governments who finance the construction and maintenance of the stadia where the game is played; several important industries such as tourism, aviation and food and beverages; former players, some of whom constitute an elite group of exemplary ambassadors of the game known as the Legends and the current players, both women and men, and their representative organization, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) constitute another key group of stakeholders. Finally, the Caribbean public completes the stakeholder community on which the delivery of the public good of West Indies Cricket depends.
In spite of substantial transformation and modernization of the business of cricket in other countries such as Australia (Cricket Australia) and England (England and Wales Cricket Board), the governance of West Indies cricket has failed to evolve in a manner which accords with the exigencies of the modern game, but continues to be governed by a structure that is not reflective of the transformation of the game elsewhere. This is especially evident in relation to the requirements of the player-coaching community, stakeholder investors, and the expectations of the Caribbean cricketing public. The existing governance structure, in its most essential features, remains closely aligned to its origins in the early twentieth century when it was established to coordinate inter-colonial tournaments, select West Indian XIs and touring teams, than with the modern governance, administration and ongoing commercial progress of the industry of cricket in other parts of the world.
The Panel wishes to state unequivocally it has no issues with the individuals who occupy the leadership and composition of the WICB or the territorial Boards. Instead, we are of the view that cricket is increasingly a growing social and economic sub sector in the Caribbean. The requirements and inputs for its effective delivery, management and ongoing growth have evolved and changed considerably. These changes have made the existing systems of governance anachronistic. The Panel states that the current governance structure is out of alignment with the modern requirements of the game at the national, regional and international levels. The production, delivery and ongoing advance of what we call West Indies cricket, has outgrown the governance and administrative systems by which it has been delivered, with some modifications, since the 1920s. Hence, if West Indies cricket is to realise its true potential as a dynamic and financially lucrative service export sector, capable of restoring the pride of Caribbean people and fostering their greater sense of togetherness, then the difficult decisions to modernise its governance arrangements must be taken without further delay. It is now past the time to accept that the current governance structures are obsolete.
The Panel Recommends the Creation of a New Governance and Management Architecture for West Indies Cricket.
In the twenty-first century Caribbean, the sporting outcomes of the game of cricket will continue to dramatically affect the psyche of Caribbean people. The enduring and ongoing impact of the triumphs and tribulations of successive West Indies cricket teams on the cricketing public will continue to be well documented and researched. Yet we maintain that the issues confronting the governance and administration of cricket, exceed the dynamics of the game on the field of play and its effect on the psyche of Caribbean people. There is an inherent and as yet unresolved tension between the evolution of the game of cricket into a powerful, professionally driven, entertainment and sporting industry and a system of governance predicated on an earlier, more simplified set of requirements.
In this regard, the Panel strongly recommends the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board and the appointment of an Interim Board whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework.
The Panel states that this is a fundamental and foundational requirement. These two, key measures are absolutely necessary in order to transform and modernize the governance, management, administration and the playing of the game. All other recommendations depend on these recommendations being implemented. The transformation of the governance and administrative framework is necessary to improve conditions affecting all players. The introduction of a new governance structure is also required to build depth and continuity into women’s cricket about which we make specific recommendations. Historically, and for too long, challenges with the management and governance of West Indies Cricket have been approached as an issue primarily of the quality of the leadership. Instead, it is the Panel’s view that the existing governance mechanisms do not provide an appropriate environment and framework to address the changes and challenges within the game of cricket, and the business of cricket. The outmoded governance structure does not prioritize accountability and transparency.
The Panel wishes to acknowledge the considerable body of work already completed in the area of governance, first, under the chairmanship of the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson and then under Mr. Charles Wilkin – the Patterson and Wilkin Reports – and the far-reaching recommendations these Reports offered. The Panel supports and, in some cases, builds some of its own recommendations on the sterling contributions made available to the WICB, Territorial Boards, and Caribbean public in those reports. Appendix VI contains their recommendations which we endorse as still relevant and transformative, and which offer a template for the new governance framework for West Indies Cricket.
C.State and Status of West Indies Cricket
The Panel’s conclusion that the governance system of West Indian cricket has outlived its capacity to effectively deliver the game and manage the business of cricket, is borne out by the state and status of West Indies Cricket. West Indies Cricket is in a state of disarray and the men’s team occupies a low ranking status. Our conclusion is informed by the following facts, garnered from extensive and in-depth consultations with a cross-section of stakeholders:
Playing status of the West Indies men’s teams: The West Indies men’s team is currently ranked ninth in the world and is not eligible to participate in the International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International Champions Trophy in 2017. The qualification deadline was 30 September 2015 and the team did not qualify. Since the introduction of this tournament in 1998,this is the first time that the West Indies will not be participating in this prestigious tournament: in fact, this is the first time that the WI team will not participate in any ICC world tournament! Of twelve cricketing nations ranked by the ICC for ODIs, the West Indies men’s team ranks only above Ireland, No. 10, Zimbabwe No. 11, and Afghanistan, No. 12.
The West Indies men’s team is ranked eighth among Test-playing nations and has maintained that low ranking for about ten years.
The WICB’s relations with the players continue to be fractious and problematic. The long history of this state of affairs suggests that it is, in the main, a structural issue and less one of personalities. The recent abandonment of the Indian tour and the subsequent dropping of the One-Day Captain and Vice-Captain are particularly dramatic and extreme manifestations of this challenge.
The fractious and problematic relationship now extends to the Coach, Phil Simmons. Coach Simmons (hired just about six months ago) has been suspended for making statements that he is unable to field the best available 50-over team to tour Sri Lanka because of “interference from outside”, resulting in the exclusion of former one-day Captain, Dwayne Bravo and former Vice-Captain Kieron Pollard, which the Board deemed inimical to its interests, and to have brought it into disrepute. The residual point is that there is a breakdown in key relationships necessary for the good management and performance of the team.
WIPA no longer represents the top male players. There are also fractious relations between the players association and the top male cricketers.
There is a current, problematic “non-relationship” between the WICB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which could be potentially dangerous. This revolves around the dissolution of the West Indies tour of India, the subsequent demand by the BCCI for damages amounting to US $42 million and the impasse in negotiations between the most powerful cricketing board and country and an insolvent West Indies Cricket Board.
The quality of touring engagements offered to West Indies teams has deteriorated. It is the norm and practice now to offer two test-match tours and two to three one day internationals. The perception by the other cricketing nations is that our teams are not strong enough to offer more attractive, lucrative and longer engagements.
On the surface, women’s cricket appears to be doing well. The current elite team is comparatively high in the rankings. They are ranked fifth in the world after Australia 1, England 2, New Zealand 3, and India 4. They are ahead of South Africa 6, Pakistan 7, Sri Lanka 8, Bangladesh 9 and Ireland 10. However, the women’s team no longer plays Test cricket, only ODI’s and T20s.
In spite of the fact that the management and development of West Indies women’s cricket was incorporated into the WICB in 2005, no systematic structures have been introduced to develop women’s cricket in the territories. There is widespread concern that when the current crop of women’s cricketers graduates from playing, there is no viable second tier being developed to replace them.
Officials of the WICB and the Territorial Boards accept no responsibility for the development of women’s cricket, preferring this to be the responsibility of governments, in stark contrast to their position that governments should keep out of cricket.
There are embarrassingly sharp differentials in the compensation offered to the West Indies women players in regional and international tournaments compared to the male players.
The fragile governance arrangements of many of the Territorial Boards, (that is their constitutions, schedule of meetings, audited financial statements, accountability transparency and operational practices), mirrors the concerns we expressed earlier about the WICB. The development requirements of men’s and women’s cricket in most of the territories are beyond the capacity of the Territorial Boards to deliver, or to be accountable for their delivery.
The private company structure invites concerns of the role of the WICB as an institution for delivering a public good, West indies Cricket, because in its delivery, the WICB relies on the inputs and active involvement of multiple stakeholders, while the current governance structure provides for accountability to its shareholders only, excluding other classes of stakeholders that are essential to the delivery of West Indies cricket.
Throughout the Caribbean there is widespread discussion in conventional and social media about the state of West Indies Cricket and growing concerns about its governance.
There is an absence of vision for the development of both women’s and men’s cricket, as exemplified by the need for more cricket development initiatives such as Cricket Academies, cricket being played throughout the schools in all the Territories, and more effective use of sports psychologists and specialist coaches. This is evident in the absence of development programmes and policies.
If the WICB and the Territorial Boards are accountable to each other, (the shareholder community) that accountability is not demonstrated to the other stakeholders.
Collectively these features underscore the parlous state and status of West Indies cricket. They are symptomatic of a West Indies Cricket in a prolonged condition of crisis and decline. Given this perilous state, the Panel recommends urgent action to expedite the process of transformation in the governance, administration and management of West Indies Cricket. The Panel notes that:
there are adverse conditions affecting West Indies cricket on the field and off;
as a cricketing Region, we are now in a state of perpetual slide in the performance of West Indies cricket teams in all the formats of the game except senior women’s cricket;
the standards of corporate, collective accountability demands the resignation of the entire membership of the Board, the dissolution of the current board structure, the appointment of an Interim Board, and the adoption of a new governance framework.
The Panel concludes that the current system of governance is anachronistic; the crises resulting from lack of cricket development, poor on-field performance and our unfavourable international reputation are deepening. We conclude that it is now urgent that a modern, transparent and accountable system of governance replace the existing model. The following section details our recommendations for the rescue and transformation of West Indies Cricket.
D.The Path towards the Transformation of West Indies Cricket
Having assessed the foregoing factors, the Panel states that it is past the time for the WICB to operate in accordance with acceptable international, modern standards of governance. The recommendations of the Patterson and Wilkins Reports are instrumental in shaping the proposed structure of the new Board. The Patterson Report recommended a Council made up of 23 members, representative of a wide cross section of stakeholders whose primary functions are to determine policies and strategies and provide guidance or the development of West Indies Cricket. The Patterson Report also recommended a new Board consisting of 15 members inclusive of the leadership with both widespread and in depth representation of the cricketing communities and constituencies.
The Panel endorses the foresight of these recommendations and proposes a revised structure incorporating some of their key elements with new features. Appendix VII provides a diagrammatic representation of this structure. Our final proposed structure is grounded in the realities of twenty-first century Caribbean Cricket. It bears some similarity to the structure of Cricket Australia which started under very similar circumstances to West Indies Cricket. They accepted the need for review and change and produced a revised governance structure that emphasized professional competencies over territorial representation. It should also be noted that other international Board(s) are seeking to use Cricket Australia as a model for their own future development.
The Panel concludes these steps have to be implemented in order to begin the overdue work of transforming the governance structure of West Indies cricket. The new governance structure must be committed to the process of transparency and accountability in order to function as a successful, commercial enterprise.
The Panel recommends the implementation of an entirely new operational framework, involving institutional changes and new criteria for the selection of the management and Board members.
The selection process must be overseen by a Head Hunting Firm which will lead a process that is rigorous, thorough and driven by a determination to produce highly skilled, competent and knowledgeable individuals of the highest calibre.
The Panel therefore recommends that a Head Hunting firm be selected to ensure that the new Board members possess a particular set of criteria and skills appropriate for membership on a reconstituted Board.
Until the new Board and governance structure are in place, the Panel recommends the appointment of an Interim Board and a Change Management Expert. The Panel took note of the fact that an Interim Board has been installed in Sri Lanka, without falling into disfavor with the ICC. (Appendix V details the personal and professional competencies that should govern the selection of Board Members).
The Panel recommends a Board comprising of 9 members selected on the basis of proven professional competencies. This is a requirement in order to achieve the long overdue shift away from representation to professionalism.
The Board members should possess the skills, professional expertise and track record to advance the growth and success of West Indies cricket as a viable sporting business representing the core values of the Caribbean people.
Given the fragile conditions affecting the sustainability of women’s cricket, and its relatively underdeveloped character, the Panel recommends the appointment of a Board member(s) with a specific remit for and representation of women’s cricket.
Persons to be considered for board membership would be identified through a consultative process and should first be screened/selected by a Nominations Council who would make their selections available to the Head Hunting Firm.
To ensure the required transformation, the Panel recommends that the Prime Ministerial Committee approach the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to provide grant funding for a team of consultants to define the process and regulatory framework for a transformed Board’s management structure, governance arrangements and shareholding in a new dispensation.
The Panel therefore recommends that the Prime Ministerial Committee explores funding possibilities with the CDB to support the various initiatives for the transformation of the governance structure of WICB.
The Panel recommends the development and implementation of a common set of criteria or articles of incorporation for the six Territorial Boards.
E.Transitional Arrangements
The Panel discerned a blurring of roles and responsibilities of Board Members especially the Management of WICB who sit on the Board. It is usual in the corporate world that the policy making functions of a Board of Directors are distinct from the day-to-day administrative functions of Management. We expect and recommend that the Change Management Expert maintain this distinction in the Interim Board and the newly reconstituted framework.
To effect these required and necessary changes, the Panel restates its earlier recommendation that a professional Change Manager should be engaged to oversee the implementation of the recommendations for transforming the governance structures to fit the new criteria, within clearly defined timelines.
In making further recommendations, the Panel highlights two important aspects of cricket in the West Indies, viz.:
West Indies Women’s Cricket
The concerns the Panel has expressed about the general state of the game of cricket in the Region are compounded and exacerbated when the Panel examined the specific issues surrounding women’s cricket. The state and status of women’s cricket is complicated by contradictory features. Combined they do not augur well for the growth, expansion and professional sustainability of the women’s game. Given the ICC’s growing emphasis on women’s cricket and the commendable performance and reputation of our women’s cricket team, this is a potential area of strength for cricket in the twenty first century Caribbean. It is our considered view that it is not currently receiving the support and attention which it deserves from the WICB and the Territorial Boards.
In terms of status, at the international level, the women’s team is ranked No. 5 of ten countries ranked by the International Cricket Council. The men’s team is No. 8 of the twelve countries ranked. Within the Region, in spite of their international standings, the professional women’s cricketers do not enjoy the same status,attention and compensatory benefits from the WICB as the professional men’s team. For the Panel, however, it is even more problematic that the WICB and the Territorial Boards have provided very inadequate infrastructural support, apparently expecting Governments in the territories to address the needs of women cricketers.
In many of the interviews we conducted, individuals spoke to the lack of financial and infrastructural support and commitment to the sustainable development of women’s cricket. Ironically the decline in specific attention and development programs can be traced to 2005 when, following the ICC decision to merge the management and development of all cricket into one structure and encourage National Boards to do the same, WICB assumed responsibility for women’s cricket and thus theWest Indies Women’s Federation ceased administering women’s cricket. The programmatic, planned development of West Indian women’s cricket has been on the decline since then.
Prior to 2005, women’s regional cricket included a two-day competition, a knock out competition, and a 50 over competition. After 2005, the regional tournament became only the 50 over tournament. Prior to 2005, there was a Senior Tournament and an Under 19 Tournament. After 2005, the WICB focused only on the senior team and discontinued the Under 19 tournament.
If the present trend of neglect continues, West Indies women’s cricket will eventually disintegrate in spite of the good standing of the current team. This is due to the following factors:
There is no organized, official programmes and policies in place by the WICB to develop women’s cricket. The Board states that this is the responsibility of the Governments and Territorial Boards. The WICB admits that all Member Territories do not have women’s teams but does not articulate a role in their development. “We need the commitment of governments through the Ministries of Education to bring it into the schools, so girls can play more cricket and graduate to the national and regional level” (Michael Muirhead: 14 August 2015).
The panel notes that the WICB management looks towards the Territorial Boards and Governments to take the lead in the area of cricket development for women, while it accepts responsibility for the development of cricket skills for the men’s teams. There is not enough teaching and coaching of the basics of the game, and more of two-innings cricket needs to be played, as that is the format where the game is best learnt. The development of young female players, to cultivate a budding crop of players to eventually replace the current team is also critical.
There are no organized, consistent set of structures in place by the Territorial Boards. Some Boards do not have clubs, do not encourage the development of clubs and do not organize national/territorial competitions.
The men’s cricket has national competitions, senior competitions, an A Team, an Under 19 and an Under 15. The Women’s cricket has one competition. “There is a clear pathway for the male cricketers, the same cannot be said about the women cricketers” (Wavell Hinds: 14 August 2015).
Prior to 2005, Women’s cricket had a representative on the Board. After 2005, Ernst and Young produced recommendations for the representation of Women’s cricket on the Board based on the ICC model. This was adopted but never implemented. Instead the WICB put a women’s committee in place made up of three directors who were charged with overseeing women’s cricket. That arrangement disintegrated (Ann Brown John: 14 August 2015).
While the women cricketers are very committed to the game, their compensation packages are very minimal. Ten senior players have ‘decent’ retainer contracts. The sharpest difference is at the regional level where the women receive an allowance of US $ 150.00 for a two week period.
The WICB seems primarily focused on the Senior Men’s Team, to the detriment of Women’s cricket. Indeed there is a perception of there being a built-in resistance among WICB Directors to representing West Indian women’s cricket at Board level.
As regards the format played by the women, it is cheaper and easier to manage a short format competition. The Panel heard anecdotal evidence that the recent (August 2015) tournament organised for the women cricketers by the WICB was only for 50 overs format, although the next major international tour in 2016 will be the T-20 format. A request from the women cricketers to the WICB to include a T-20 regional competition, in order for them to better prepare for next year’s international T-20 tournament, was rejected.
The foregoing observations apply to the women’s game. The specific analysis of conditions affecting West Indies women’s cricket reveal a heightened state of decline. We accept a new governance structure should augur well for both the men’s and women’s game. However given the quiet, deeper crisis in women’s cricket we offer a specific set of recommendations to advance the women’s game, create a stream of new and younger players and improve the international ranking of the current team, whom we applaud for their dedication and discipline.
The Panel recommends that the Vision Statement of the reconstituted Board speak directly to the development of women’s cricket. This can no longer be an afterthought.
The Panel recommends that a demonstrated commitment to the professional development of women’s cricket be a specific criterion in the recruitment and selection of Member(s) for the reconstituted Board.
The Panel recommends an enhanced role for the new Board in improving the skills and performance of the female players as well as the conditions under which they play, with a supporting role for WIPA where appropriate.
The Panel recommends developing specific marketing and sponsorship strategies to popularize the game, especially with families and young girls and to promote the star female players as mentors and role models, as well as to enhance their commercial value to sponsors. The star players should be used in sponsored promotions and speaking engagements in high schools in the Region.
The Panel recommends that more organizedwomen’s cricket be played. The women need to play at different levels and formats more regularly (five 50 over games a year for the women is grossly inadequate).
Cricket as a Public Good
Based on a socio-economic and legal analysis, the Panel holds that cricket in the West Indies is a public good that is managed by a private company. Two of the three defining characteristics of a “public good” are displayed in West Indies Cricket: non-rivalry and non-excludability. Non – rivalry means one person consuming the good does not prevent another person doing so; while non-excludability means if one person consumes the good, it is impossible to stop another person from doing so.
The Supreme Court of India, in a judgment of 22 January 2015, and sitting in a matter which involved the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), had much to say which is of relevance to the application of the concept of a public good to West Indies Cricket, viz.:
“any organization or entity that has such pervasive control over the game and its affairs as can make dreams end up in smoke or come true cannot be said to be undertaking any private activity. The functions of the Board are clearly public functions which … remain in the nature of public functions, no matter discharged by a society registered under the Registration of Societies Act. Suffice it to say that if the government not only allows an autonomous/private body to discharge functions which it could in law take over or regulate but even lends its assistance to such a non-government body to undertake such functions which by their very nature are public functions, it cannot be said that the functions are not public functions or that the entity discharging the same is not answerable on the standards generally applicable to judicial review of State action.”
We are persuaded as to the relevance and applicability of this Indian Supreme Court decision on cricket as a public good, to the management of West Indies cricket. The Panel recommends further legal research be done into this matter, to ascertain whether the current corporate structure of the WICB, or with recommended amendments, is capable of satisfying the requirements we have outlined for a modern professional and accountable institution; or alternatively advice on the creation of an alternate institutional structure.
Summary Statement
We have reviewed the state of West Indies Cricket, particularly its governance arrangements and conclude that the challenges lie not specifically with the leadership per se, but with a governance structure that is antiquated and incapable of addressing the social, economic and cultural realities of cricket in the twenty first century Caribbean. Cricket is now an economic subsector and a multi-billion dollar international sporting and business industry. The Caribbean is part of the global political economy of cricket, and to continue with anachronistic, unproductive governance arrangements will force a further marginalization of our relevance and involvement. We firmly believe that this archaic structure continues to support particular types of governance practices that do not recognize that in the production of cricket, the interests of the stakeholders – not only those of the shareholders – are equally valid and cannot be ignored. The extant governance arrangements are oblivious to, and/or out of touch with the changes in the Caribbean and the international game and Caribbean societies. The WICB and Territorial Boards have been able to ignore the extent to which their operations lack transparency and accountability because the current structures do not respect these basic tenets of good governance within their operations. The WICB and its attendant executive, managerial and administrative frameworks are incapable of turning around West Indies Cricket. The evidence of this is the state and status of West Indies Cricket which we have documented. Our main recommendation is that the Board should be immediately dissolved and all current members resign while an Interim Board is selected to work with a change management expert to install a new governance framework.
The members of the Cricket Review Panel expresses its gratitude to the Cricket Governance Committee, its Chairman, Dr. the Hon. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, and the management of the WICB for the confidence reposed in us to constitute this Panel. We recognize that, over the last few months, we have covered a lot of ground and we believe that we have returned with a menu of recommendations to introduce long-term and meaningful transformational change for the good of West Indies cricket, its shareholders and stakeholders, and Caribbean societies.
Effecting this process of transformation requires considerable work, including at the level of the Territorial Boards. The Panel is committed to the change process outlined and to see the Great Game flourish in the West Indies in the future. Cricket is a unifying force in the Caribbean, a game we all love and cherish, and a growing economic subsector in our societies.
Eudine Barriteau Chair
Sir Dennis Byron Member
Dwain Gill Member
Deryck Murray Member
Warren Smith Member
