With a huge bill facing the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) due to the aborted tour of India, Caribbean citizens are worried that their leaders would dip into their taxpayers fund to bail out the regional body.

Initially the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonzalves said he would look to seek Caricom’s help with the problems facing the WICB but quickly indicated that he was not going to ask the governments of the region to foot the bill.

In between his call and explanation citizens started to make noise from Woodford Square in Port-of-Spain, across to Oistins Fish Market in Barbados right down to Stabroek Market in Georgetown. With their nerves now calm because of the fact that no one has continued to push the idea of a government bailout, they are still concerned of the fact that the board has this bill facing them.

read the full article at Trinidad Guardian

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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Titties want to buy out WI cricket?

In reply to FanAttick

Frying pan...fire.

Mamchan is as bad as Becca but thats for another day.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

This actually makes a lot of sense....

As things stand, the WICB is accountable to no one. This would force the WICB to become more professional and accountable. I see three courses of action open to the WICB:

1) Go public on the stock exchange.

2) Implement the recommendations of the Patterson Report with regards to governance.

3) Disband, and let the individual countries go it alone.

All three options are preferable to the current unacceptable structure.

In reply to Commie

Titties can't win at the ballot box ..they want to waste the drying up oil money on WI cricket ownership

In reply to mikesiva

Can you imagine the chaotic shareholders meetings?

In reply to mikesiva

No it doesnt.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

This was raised back in 1986 in Sports 'n Arts by one of my brethren. Ah well.

In reply to Chrissy

Yuh brethren does not have a clue about business. The best business opportunity is local country based T20 franchises. The thing formerly known as WI cricket is dead and buried.

In reply to FanAttick

I refer you all to Clico.

Going public would be a disaster.

In reply to Chrissy

Was any mention of this made in your doctoral thesis? If not, then it's evident that you didn't think much of the referenced points.

Happy New Year, Chrissy!

Chris Gayle, as captain, asked this same question of the Ken Gordon-led WICB administration, almost a decade ago, and was raked over the coals for doing so!

In reply to jacksprat

There is little difference between any of the boards structures except the calibre of people employed.

The issue as always is that whilst plenty people agitate online they do not go to club cricket and don't go to vote at the representative level.

The reps at the lower level will cart in the lil old lady down the road to vote if they have to. After all its like politics.

So the WICB actually reflects the level of interest in cricket in the region.

Any change in the structure has to be agreed by the ICC and many of the other boards don't want their arrangements to change hence...Groundhog day.

I suggest that the voting rights of the Board members be limited to the election of the executive and that the CEO properly run the role of the full time paid head of the executive and NOT the president, who for some bizarre reason becomes the be all and end all.

In effect like many Caribbean countries the CEO should be the PM and the President a representative figure who votes on WICB stance on ICC policy, and not driving WICB cricket operations.

WI Cricket needs a real CEO and an executive that functions without having to get consensus everytime. At the end of say their tenure the directors can then reinstate or get rid of them.

In reply to Commie

Correct. The executive president makes the CEO position redundant. Going public doesn't mean more or better public participation. It may mean less according to shares and voting rights

In reply to mikesiva

I do not normally disagree with what
you write . However on this occasion I take strong objection to your thread .

Let me very Crystal Clear . THE FACT

THAT THE WICB TELLS US THAT IT IS

BROKE DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS BROKE .
I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SIMPLY ANOTHER

ONE OF THE WICB's TACTICS TO GET

TAXPAYERS MONEY . LET ME CITE MY

STIPULATIONS .


The first thing that must be done is that the WICB allows a very reputable
financial forensic expert to examine
ALL the Finances of the WICB .Obviously if the WICB refuses to do this ; then let them declare Bankruptcy , AND GET THE HELL OUT OF
CRICKET IN THE REGION .

I have no problem with Cricket in the Region being a Public Entity , however ABSOLUTELY NO CURRENT MEMBER

OF THOSE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF CRICKET

IN THE REGION MUST EVER BE IN ANY

POSITION IN THE NEW STRUCTURE , NOT

EVEN AS NIGHTWATCHMAN .


THE WICB ; THE REGIONAL BOARDS &

OPERATIONS AT FACTORY ROAD MUST BE


TOTALLY RESTRUCTURED .


ALL CONTRACTS WITH CURRENT SPONSORS

MUST TERMINATED OR RENEGOTIATED .

BTW IF THE WICB IS STILL INDEBTED TO

DIGICEL REGARDING THE PRIVY COUNCIL

MATTER , THOSE IN THE WICB & THE

REGIONAL BOARDS MUST PAY FOR THAT

THEMSELVES . BECAUSE OF THEIR CRASS

STUPIDITY .

In reply to mikesiva

THE IDEA OF THINKING ABOUT iNDIVIDUAL

COUNTRIES " GOING ALONE " IS PURE

B.S .


BTW , WE MUST HAVE A NEW NAME FOR THIS

NEW ENTITY . WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH GRIEF

FROM THE NAME WICB , FOR YEARS IT HAS

BEEN AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ITSELF &

THE REGION . MORE IMPORTANTLY BY ITS

NUMEROUS EMBARRASSMENTS IT HAS SCARED

OFF POTENTIAL SPONSORS ; AND STUPIDLY

SIGNED CONTRACTS FOR OVER 10 YEARS .


Now the fact that it has signed very long term Contracts informs me that:

THEY HAVE UTTERLY GIVEN UP ON OUR

PLAYERS BEING BETTER THAN THEY

CURRENTLY ARE .


IT SHOULD OBVIOUS TO ALL & SUNDRY

THAT IF THEY INTENDED TO MAKE OUR

PLAYERS BETTER THEY WOULD NOT SIGN

LONG TERM CONTRACTS . BECAUSE AS OUR

PLAYERS CLIMB TO THE TOP , THEIR

VALUE & THE VALUE OF THE TEAM ALSO

RISES .


THIS ALSO TANGIBLY DEMONSTRATES THAT

THEIR ONLY INTEREST IS TAKING CARE OF

THEMSELVES AND BEING IN THE

GOVERNANCE OF CRICKET IN THE REGION

FOREVER . THEY ALSO HAVE ABSOLUTELY

NO INTENTION OF CHANGING OR DILUTING

THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE .


Frankly , Let the International Cricket Cabal pay the money .

FOR YEARS IT HAS ALLOWED ; AIDED &

ABETTED THE WICB TO BE THE WORST

INTERNATIONAL CRICKET BOARD IN THE

WORLD CONTINUOUSLY . IGNORING THE

FACT THAT THE WICB'S CONTINUOUS

REFUSAL TO EXERCISE GOOD GOVERNANCE ;

PROFESSIONALISM ; COMPETENCE ;IS LIKE

OR NOT ; DAMAGING THEIR REPUTATION .

I am in favour of ALL Posts in the Regional Boards, & the WICB TO BE ELECTED NOT SELECTED .

Persons who wish to be elected must publicly state what they intend doing if elected .

I want Term limitations for all officers in the Regional Boards & in the New Entity .

ALL DEALINGS ; DELIBERATIONS &

FINANCES MUST BE MADE PUBLIC EVERY

YEAR .

Instead of going public they should just disband the WICB and start from scratch with a Governing Body that wants to do what's best for the West Indies.

Who would want to buy stocks in WI cricket if it goes public? Not me...I doh like dealing in penny stocks...then again I won't waste a cent on these guys...

In reply to TheTrail

Even Jordan Belfort would struggle to sell that stock.

In reply to WICFan

I do not have a problem with what you have suggested .

In reply to Commie

I understand your perspective regarding going or not going Public .
That being the case let us ALL allow the WICB ; the Regional Boards & Operations at Factory Road walk quietly into the night .

It would all be a large stain on the International Cricket Cabal , aka the ICC . It is those in the ICC who would have to ultimately bear the responsibility of such a disaster .

It is the people in the ICC who like it or not , bluntly refused to rein in the excesses of those in the governance of Cricket in the Region by not only turning a blind eye to the lack; of good governance , unprofessionalism ; Incompetence ;
& lack of being able to deal with others who they deem inferior to them.

In a nutshell , the ICC has aided & abetted those in the governance of Cricket in the Region to become a Rogue Cricket Board . That being the
case the onus is on the ICC , if it so desires , to make Cricket in the Region fully competitive in the International Cricket Arena .

It is the International Cricket Cabal , that has continuously stated that Governments must not intervene in Cricket . So ultimately they are responsible for those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , being Rogue Administrators of Cricket in the Region .

BTW , it aint the Players or the Governments that are responsible for all the colossal failures of those in
the governance of Cricket in the Region .

What is needed in the Region is Town Hall style Meetings , with a truthful & honest assessment regarding Poor Stewardship of those in the governance of Cricket in the Region .

Since Fish does not rot from the Tail up but From the Head down ; WE must first start with those in the stewardship of Cricket in the Region .

Before WE get around to the Players .
WE must not mix the Administrators with the Players . Doing that is not
going to solve the problems with Cricket in the Region .

Those who think otherwise are living
in a Fools Paradise . Now if people
want to remain living in a Fools Paradise , then when our Players are
only Playing against 2nd tier Teams ,
Do not blame those of us who for years have stated that the whole structure of Cricket must change .

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Let me crystal clear , I will through
this medium , and perhaps others launch a vigorous campaign against anyone investing in the Regional Boards & the WICB .

THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT COULD OCCUR

BEFORE THEY CANCELLED THE TOUR .IT

AINT THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW ALL THE

RAMIFICATIONS THEY WERE FULLY AWARE

OF THEM .


However it is their hatred & utter contempt for the Players that made the Blood rush up to their heads , and as usual they once again showed the Cricket World how utterly Stupid they are .

This whole matter could have been soughted out , but the Emperors dislike dealing with their servants .
So Cameron was likely ordered not to go to India from Dubai .

They wanted to embarrass & humiliate
the Players . They also succeeded in embarrassing themselves . WHO IS SORRY NOW . Interestingly , in its proposed lawsuit , THE PLAYERS WERE

NOT NAMED OR A PARTY TO THE PROPOSED

LAWSUIT.


Since the ICC is aiding & abetting them , let them ask the ICC to foot the Bill .

I would be very disappointed if the Regional Governments decides to take Taxpayers money to bail them out . I would also be equally disappointed if the General Public individually or
Collectively decide to throw good money after Bad money .

In reply to POINT

I'm not sure what you are advocating.

The ICC won't go away. All the cricket boards have the same structure, which is representative. In England its counties, in wi its islands, in Aus its the states.

In the Caribbean it is ordinary people who vote for their reps at the lower level. The issue begins with the fact that most people on here and the majority of people in the region casually follow the administration of sport. That is all sport. Same thing happens with football, basketball etc, which is why some people die at the head of these associations.

Therefore the meetings of associations tend to be attended by a small core of people. None of that is different from anywhere but in small countries it can be limiting.

The WICB publishes its audited Financials on its website, and holds tax free status in Antigua. That tax free status is also leveraged to the players who play no tax in their income except on specific T20 league cricket.

the major issue that the Caribbean has is that the ceo doesn't really run our cricket. The wider board and the president does. In that way it is dysfunctional.

My recommendation would be that the board simply votes a president and a process of hiring an executive starts with the ceo and then is managed by the ceo, who gets to choose his staff.

the board should not be then involved in anything other than the annual board meetings and defining the policy of cricket and the roles by island.

the cricket is too micro managed by too many people most of whom other than the ceo and the staff, are mostly all part timers. As a corporate structure its actually bizarre where you have non professionals deciding what decisions professionals should perform.
The president of the wicb should be operating above the level of cricket operations.

What complicates things more is that the reps on the board from each island have relationships with the players, good and bad. When they get involved it screws things up more.

Mashing it up is not an option.

Getting better people involved at all levels is the answer.

In reply to Commie

It aint about the ICC going away it is about the undisputed fact that the ICC
has allowed the WICB to become the Worst International Cricket Board in the World .

In essence a Rogue Cricket Board ,
and worse yet ; the ICC is aiding & abetting it in its lack of good governance of Cricket in the Region .

It is therefore not farfetched to conclude that neither those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , nor those who populate the International Cricket Cabal , gives a
Damn about the aspirations of those of us who love Cricket , and our Players .

Their only interest is being in the governance of Cricket Forever & amassing a lot of money .

BTW , I get the impression that you are not outraged by the activities of those in the governance of Cricket in the Region , and the International Cricket Cabal .

In reply to POINT

The WICB isn't the worst board by far.

It pays the 5th best in salaries in all cricket.it manages cricket in the most complex setup in all of global sport.

The issues of contracts are a central theme across all the boards except possibly Australia.every single board has had late contract and payment issues.

Caribbean people love to pretend that everywhere is better than this region. I travel alot and this is a total fallacy.

Unless Caribbean people walk the walk and get involved in cricket from the real administration level this is all talk and the representation will continue to be vested in the people who bother to turn up.

Outrage I reserve for things like Clico and the plight of poor people being fleeced by Governments.