In a major boost for West Indies cricket, prime ministers across the Caribbean are rallying behind an initiative that will generate nearly US$100 million for the sport over the next 10 years. Robert Washington, CEO of Caribbean CAGE, revealed this development during an interview on the “Mason and Guest” cricket show in Barbados on Tuesday night.
The initiative stems from a historic 10-year partnership between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Caribbean CAGE, a leading gaming and sports betting operator. The agreement, which was signed in December 2024 and takes effect on April 1, 2025, is also expected to generate US$158 million for governments in the region.
Washington emphasised that sustainable revenue is crucial for the growth and competitiveness of West Indies cricket on the global stage.
“Cricket needs recurring, sustainable revenue because you need new academies, new technology, new grounds, but you have to have income,” Washington stated. “Gaming, as we all know, is a tax on the willing.” He explained that Caribbean governments are taking a proactive approach similar to how U.S. states fund education and sports through lottery systems.
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force captain Joshua Da Silva has said the team would like to break their drought in the West Indies Four-Day Championship tournament, but will not think too far ahead, as there is still a lot of cricket to be played in the campaign.
The second-placed Red Force are off to a promising start, with two wins and one draw after three rounds of action. The TT batsmen have been inconsistent over the past few seasons, but not this year.
Four rounds still remain, with Red Force yet to face leaders and defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles and the consistent Barbados Pride.
Red Force have not won a four-day title since 2006, but the TT skipper said ending the title drought is not the focus this early in the campaign.
Speaking to regional journalists on Microsoft Teams on February 24, Da Silva said, “Every year we talk about it and keep saying it has been 18 years, 19 years and now 20 years. It is always in the back of our minds, but this year as a group we have decided that we are just going to take it game by game.
THE WEST Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) held its annual general meeting (AGM) on Sunday, at St Kitts Marriott, where the membership re-elected the entire executive team and appointed its second female director.
Wavell Hinds will serve his seventh consecutive term as WIPA president.
The AGM coincided with the Women’s Super 50 Cup, enabling participating players to attend and gain deeper insights into the association’s activities and achievements over the past year.
The membership unanimously re-elected the incumbent leadership team for another term, which will run until 2027.
CRICKET West Indies (CWI) chief executive officer Chris Dehring has acknowledged the growing challenge posed by global T20 franchise leagues but insists that a balance must be struck to safeguard the future of West Indies cricket.
While not condemning the rise of private investment in the game, Dehring pointed out that the increasing number of leagues has created difficulties for the regional team, particularly with players prioritising lucrative contracts over international duty.
On that note, he argued that the franchise leagues have significantly altered the cricketing landscape.
“I don’t condemn all this private investment and all these leagues popping up around the world, because it kind of solves one of the challenges. It creates other challenges… for the West Indies team and future West Indies teams, but it’s not something that I look down on or am afraid of,” Dehring said on the Mason and Guest cricket radio show.
President Irfaan Ali has been selected to replace Dr. Keith Rowley as the new chairman of the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket.
The announcement was made by outgoing chairman Dr. Rowley on Friday during the final day of the 48th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Barbados.
Dr. Rowley revealed it would be his final CARICOM meeting and said Dr. Ali had been selected as the new chairman.
“…This is the end of my tenure as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and my last meeting at CARICOM.
“Today I handed over to the plenary selected, or agreed to select, my colleague…my colleague from Guyana, who is an eminent cricketer, as you know, President Dr. Irfaan Ali to now take the chairmanship of the sub-committee on cricket,” Dr. Rowley said.
