Dr. Keith Rowley: A Giant Amongst Men and a True Champion of West Indies Cricket
Fri, Mar 14, '25
Statement from Dr. Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies
On behalf of Cricket West Indies, I extend profound gratitude to Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley for his exceptional service to the region and his unwavering commitment to West Indies cricket. As he prepares to demit office on March 16, 2025, and has stepped down as Chair of the CARICOM Subcommittee on Cricket, we reflect on his remarkable leadership and enduring legacy.
Dr. Rowley is a giant amongst men—an unwavering advocate for Caribbean unity, progress, and the institutions that define us. His tenure as Chair of the CARICOM Subcommittee on Cricket was marked by visionary leadership, bold decision-making, and an unshakable passion for the game. The historic CARICOM Cricket Symposium held last year under his stewardship stands as a testament to his determination to chart a stronger future for West Indies cricket.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are jointly launching the inaugural West Indies Breakout League, a new cricket tournament designed to spotlight emerging talent across the region.
The competition is scheduled to take place from 25 April to 10 May 2025, featuring six teams and 17 matches. All the games will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
The six teams taking part will be Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, Trinidad & Tobago Legions and the Windward Islands Infernos.
Players eligible to participate must be under 30 years old or at the start of the 2025 event, with limited professional experience—fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 International T20s.
Windies Captain Matthews applauds T20 leagues for bolstering women’s game
Thu, Mar 13, '25
Twenty20 leagues have transformed women’s cricket from a sport that once relied on public support for survival into an appealing spectacle, according to West Indies white-ball captain Hayley Matthews.
The all-rounder, who shot to fame in the West Indies’ 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, said T20 leagues like the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India have fostered global exposure and helped develop the women’s game.
“I feel like once upon a time, women’s cricket was probably like, ‘Come and watch the game to support the women,’ whereas now I feel like we have a product that’s entertaining, and we have these skills that people want to see us play cricket,” Matthews told Reuters.
“I think just getting the opportunity to play these leagues and have all the games televised and have people watching and supporting is naturally going to help the game to grow.
“There’s plenty of opportunities for women to grow in cricket, and I think competitions like the WPL give a platform for the game to grow. It introduces people to the game . . . shows the level of skill that we have in women’s cricket.”
The West Indies reached the pinnacle of the women’s game in 2016 by capturing the World T20 title in India, and one of the architects of that success was Merissa Aguilleira.
Aguilleira represented the West Indies for 11 years after making her debut in 2008. While her on-the-field stint is over, the former captain has no intention of halting her contributions, as she is now the head coach of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Divas.
At the recent CG United Women’s Super50 Cup in St Kitts, the Red Force Divas secured their first title since 2017 with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Barbados in the final.
Aguilleira, who has always been part of the “think tank” of her country’s team at regional championships, is now responsible for driving the direction of the squad and formulating strategies to combat their opponents.
It’s a new role, but while she is not daunted by the challenge, coaching was never her initial intention.
“I have always looked at myself as someone who enjoys the administrative side of things and also mentorship,” she expressed. “I am, however, enjoying it and have upskilled myself with a Level Two coaching certificate. Now, coaching is something I enjoy doing.”
West Indies cricket legend Andy Roberts has strongly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai during the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Roberts’s remarks come in the wake of similar concerns raised by another cricketing icon, Vivian Richards, who had earlier questioned the ICC’s decision to schedule all of India’s matches in Dubai.
Expressing his frustration, Roberts accused the governing body of being incapable of standing up to the BCCI, which he believes has undue influence over international cricket.
“ICC must start saying no to India. They can’t get everything. In last year’s T20 World Cup, India even had an advantage as they knew in advance where their semi-final would be held (Guyana),” Roberts was quoted as saying by the Mid-Day.
At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. “How can a team not travel during a tournament?" he added.
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