The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Two for the show

Mon, Jul 16, '07

 

Vaneisa Baksh

by VANEISA BAKSH

You might think that the position is so blighted that no one wants it, or you may think it just odd that only one name apiece was tossed into the circle for the posts of president and vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Either way, given that nominations have been declared closed, it seems the annual general meeting scheduled for July 29 in Trinidad will deliver up Julian Hunte and Dave Cameron . . . unless of course, the election is deferred because of some unforeseen circumstance.


It looks like a lockdown took place early in the game to ensure that no "inappropriate" candidates might get thrown in. Remember how embarrassing it turned out for board members when Clive Lloyd had to be sidestepped on the pinhead point that he lived not in the region?

True, the WICB can jest with us about transparency and such, but really, it remains a private company registered in . . . which cricket-playing jurisdiction in the West Indies was it? Bet you can't put your finger on it. So who is to ask about nomination procedures and who could be so bold as to assess the nature of prospective office holders?

Who'd dare question the credentials of people who have held so many offices and seats and positions that demand their presence all over the world on a regular basis that one wonders how they manage to pay any real attention to anything but getting there, being splendidly dressed and packing the right speech?

But then, the Caribbean has quite a celebrity clique of people who sit on every board and do heaven knows what magic to pull it off.

The WICB, whose majority has declared support for the two sole runners, will know better than outsiders the record of its president-elect (as I saw him described elsewhere), as he has served as vice- president under a long series of presidents. Perhaps, the WICB now thinks it is time to reward his years of service.

DAVE CAMERON AND THE LUCKY REPORT

And what prompted the nomination of Whycliffe David Cameron?

As a director, they must know him well. As a long serving chairman of the Marketing and Business Development Committee, they must be terribly impressed with his strategies and innovativeness over those years. And the board must really trust his persuasive powers, because when Ken Gordon offered his resignation a few months ago, they asked him to tell Ken to stay.

But Cameron wears many hats. He's been treasurer of the Jamaica Cricket Association for more than five years, and is president of the Kensington Cricket Club. Indeed, as a result of all these hats, Cameron featured rather largely in the report of Justice Anthony Lucky.

If only vaguely, you might remember the Lucky Committee was set up in the midst of the Cable & Wireless-Digicel sponsorship bacchanal, negotiations over which Cameron was involved.

As a negotiator with Digicel, the Lucky report found Cameron's actions to be "ill advised" and reasonably interpreted as a conflict of interest, as within a short time Digicel sponsored the refurbishing of Kensington Cricket Club.

Even if one ignored the Lucky findings and recommendations as the WICB has done, as the Digicel contract features have unfolded, the disadvantaged state of the WICB in that union has become glaring.

It's not our business who they choose or why, because they've never been accountable, have they?