As the second edition of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) nears, the franchises are another year closer to their deadline of having to become sustainable or face collapse.

The WICB opted to financially prop up the PCL for the first four years, with the hope that the franchises work on sponsorship, so that they can stand on their own. Currently the WICB allocates a total of US$45,000 per month for each of the six franchises to run their business in terms of paying players’ salaries and preparing their teams.

If the franchises can’t find sponsors, then the WICB will have to continue their search for an overall sponsor to take care of the bill. Chairman of the Barbados Pride franchise Conde Riley says that the WICB would have to be more innovative and find ways to get sponsors on board. “The world economy is in recession and this of course has affected all the Caribbean governments which we can go to for assistance.

 

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The WICB opted to financially prop up the PCL for the first four years.........


It was bound to happen.........they f de players, tek dey money, and now wuh, dem start before dem ready.........uh hope dem teams can get some sponsors so this thing could move along or else Bravo and Polly an dem who gave up their money gine be real cruel........oh well......moving along, did somebody ask what's new in West indies Cricket?

In reply to cherri

The issue here for me is this statement

At least in CPL....investors can see potential for ROI....especially with spectator interest, television rights etc

But in the PCL.....where is that potential? How much TV $$$ is there to go around? How many fans go to the games?

On the face of it, if I were interested in investing my $$$ in cricket, I would go the CPL route.

Unless......there were incentives that the PCL could offer that would make that option much more attractive and allow for greater ROI

What's the brand value of PCL vs CPL? Currently the difference is like between night and day

The franchises should work harder at getting sponsors.
Some just lazy.
They can go to sponsors show them their ROI and get the ball going. To think the WICB should fund $45k per month is ridiculous.
What some of them should do is try to partner with the CPL and get them to assist with sponsorship.
Most the PCL player in the CPL anyway. hell even the letters in the name are the same lol
G

In reply to positiveg

Let's say you own a corporation in the region. You're thinking of investing in, or at the very least, having your corporation associated with cricket

Why would you invest in PCL?

What ROI exactly is a PCL franchise going to show you as an investor?

How will you partner with a CPL franchise when you're essentially competing businesses?

Why would a CPL franchise want to partner with a PCL franchise?

In reply to positiveg

I was under the impression that WI players salary was cut big time just to make this payment for the pcl players. Why is there a sudden worry about sponsorships? If I remember even the WI FC and lo cricket was without sponsors for a long time.

If WICB can give the sponsors of the regional bodies some exposure during international cricket at a hugely subsideEd rate it might make sense to a sponsor. Else it is money down the drain

My take is that it would have been a better investment , selecting 15 Players from each of the Region Territories ; and have them play a Series of matches .

But then the WICB has never been know
to do the right things . Now its Reckless behaviour in the Indian Saga
has come back to not only haunt them
but have them indebted to the BCCI , for the cancellation of the Tour .

The adage " Do not Cry over Spilt Milk " is not appropriate here , because my belief is that the matter could have be soughted out , and the Tour continue .

Unfortunately the Brains of the people in the WICB are not wired to seek compromise . Their modus operandi is straight out of 19th century thinking , " My way or take the Highway " .

But perhaps unknown to them , people
& potential Sponsors are keenly observing their behaviour . So also
are the Regional Governments ; and I
seriously doubt that those who are observing them like what they see .

How long will the Caricom officials allow this mismanagement of the only thing that glues the countries together, to continue? Any other Cricketing nation would have already called an emergency meeting to sort things out and remove some people.

In reply to dayne

The problem is that the WICB claims that it is a Private Entity ,and the
International Cricket Cabal supports its point of view .

I really do not subscribe to that idea , because the WICB does not own any freaking Cricket Grounds or Stadia in the Region . WICB also does not own a
Police Force or Fire Department in the Region .

My take is that if they owned those things then they can claim to be a Private Entity . Look the Regional Governments asked the WICB to implement the changes recommended by the Patterson Report .

The WICB not only bluntly refused to do that , instead they commissioned
another Report ; the Wilkin Report which they quickly dismissed .

I cite this to illustrate that the People in the WICB are not really serious persons . Their one and only
obsession is to remain in the governance of Cricket in the Region Forever ; and ensuring that the Structure is never changed , and their power is never diluted .
Nothing else matters to them .

In reply to imusic

Unless local companies going to get healthy tax breaks dey eh touching dat wid a ten foot pole

Well eventually they will have to go back to the old format, with each team being selected by the local Cricket Boards, with the option of inviting foreign players. However, WI cricket have not looked so hopeless as it looks now.

Why would any potential Sponsors , align themselves with the WICB , when it is very well known that it is Incompetent ; prone to do Stupid things , Inept ; and has absolutely no Business Acumen .

Once there were Sponsors for ALL the Regional Tournaments , and they left , why they left is still a mystery . Some in this Forum claim that happened because of Contractual Obligations .

I have no idea whether that is true or false , if it is true , then it demonstrates as I stated above , the people in the WICB have very poor
business acumen .

In reply to POINT
Very true what you said and there is nothing in place to correct the issues other than being lucky that persons with the right motives and management skills run for office. WI people tend to install people with charismatic personalities into positions of authority over people with the right skills for that position.

In reply to dayne

It is very unfortunate but true that
Most people who join Organizations do
so not to improve the Organization , but to see what they can get out of being in the top tier of Organizations .

The WICB is no exception to that Rule
;The People in both the Regional Boards & the WICB ; are deathly afraid of making Structural Changes .

The reason why they bluntly refuse to make Structural changes , is because they are fearful that their power will be diluted ; and that must never ever happen .

They are not interested in improving the standard of Cricket in the Region ,nor making our Players & Team fully competitive in the International Cricket Arena .

As I have stated in this Forum before , the stark Truth is that Cricket in the Region has REGRESSED . Ample proof of this fact , was displayed this year , when England & Australia
toured the Region .

Meanwhile Bangladesh & Zimbabwe are surging ahead , while our Players &
Team are Bottom Dwellers in the longer versions of the game . Thanks to the Brilliance of the People in the governance of Cricket in the Region .

The structure of the board is the reason, why it is so difficult to make changes.
I for one dont think ervery member, director or president, dont want to implement, any of the various recommendation.
Some times an autocratic decision is needed, to make changes, this cannot be done with the structure of the WICB.

In reply to openning

With all due Respect , I find what you have stated to be exceedingly Weak .
Worse yet , you seem to be implying that Cricket in the Region must remain
as is , and that I find very troubling .

In reply to POINT

Tell us what you know of the organizational structure of the board, how the directors are hired, the duties and role of the president.
Answer the about, then we can have a discussion.

In reply to openning

I know enough to understand that the current structure of the Board is a freaking disaster .

Now if the Regional Governments denied
the WICB access to play matches in the Region ; that could be a good leverage that may force the WICB to undergo structural changes .

But I aint about to hold my breath ; because the people in the WICB are steeped in 19th century thinking . They are always Right & everyone is always wrong .

The funny thing is that they have Regressed Cricket in the Region ; at the same time Bangladesh & Zimbabwe are forging ahead .

They have been asked politely to implement changes , and they have refused to do that , so my take is that the Regional Governments need to flex their muscles . Maybe then they will understand .