An audit into the financial problems affecting West Indies cricket has found a "massive hole" in its coffers and, according to board president, Ricky Skerritt, sounded "an alarm bell" for its future.
The report, compiled by external and independent auditors PKF, suggests Cricket West Indies (CWI) has suffered from overly optimistic revenue projections and unsustainable costs. It also criticises an opaque and inadequate accounting system, which enabled abuses to go unreported and posed a threat to "the board's long-term sustainability."
News of the report's findings comes as CWI struggles to pap match fee owed to its players. But while it is clear the current board management is grappling with a cash flow crisis, the report puts much of the blame on historic factors.
Those historic factors centre predominantly on the previous administration, headed by David Cameron; Cameron has told ESPNcricinfo that he is the victim of a "smear campaign" and questioned the "credibility of the report and its findings."
Read more at ESPNcricinfo
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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Obviously when YOU Cancel a Tour that
was in Progress , leaving your Host with a mountain of Debt ; there obviously will be a Massive Hole in your Finances .
Quite frankly , this aint Rocket Science , it is plain old Commonsense.
In this Forum I have consistently stated that the WICBC / CWI needs to
undergo a completely new Structural.
Past & Present Members of the WICBC /CWI must be Banned from being viable
to be elected . WE need to go Forward
not Backward .
The WICBC /CWI is over 100 years old , yet its Basic Structure has not changed . Let me remind All & Sundry
that when the WICBC wanted to host the Cricket World Cup in the Region ,
It went to the Regional Governments for assistance .
The Governments of the Region did what was requested of them , WE were
told that the World Cup was a Financial success .
I mistakenly expected that the WICBC/CWI would become a model Cricket Board . Sadly I was mistaken.
The WICBC /CWI as currently structured ,has demonstrated that
it is Totally unfit to be in the governance of West Indies Cricket .
It has been allowed to be Dictatorial
and high handed , with the support of its many friends in the Region who claim to be Sports Journalists; but in fact are willing servants of the
Worst International Cricket Board in
the Commonwealth .
Perhaps that is why Michael Holding ,
was given information , and not any of the Stooges in the Media who are
metaphorically in bed with the Emperors in the WICBC / CWI .
My take is that Cricket in the Region
will not improve until there is a
Completely new Structure regarding the Governance of West Indies Cricket .
The WICBC /CWI is over 100 years old ,
and during that length of time it has bluntly refused to change its archaic
Structure .
The WICBC/CWI failed to understand that
the greatness of Our Players in the International Cricket Arena was due to
two ultra important Factors .
The first is that Our Players were allowed to Play Cricket in England ,this obviously honed their Skills &
their Stamina . Many seem to forget that in the Region , there was not a
Regional Cricket League .
Secondly , The Structure of International Cricket allowed for matches to be played between the Test
Matches .
Those matches apart from honing the Skills of Our Players , allowed them to get acclimatized to the weather and the Pitches .
It was in my opinion, and perhaps others in the Region , that When the
ICC decided to curtail the many matches that were played between the Test Matches , this obviously affected the abilities of Our players
to be supremely Fit and acclimatized
to the Weather and conditions of Pitches .
Then England decide to limit the number of Overseas Players from Playing Cricket in England .
In my opinion this Double Whammy , was a carefully hatched Plan ; aimed to dilute our Players Dominance in
International Cricket .
Now if anyone doubts the above , in recent Times a Group of Member Countries in the ICC decided that They would take the Lion share of
the ICC Funds . Now this is a Fact not Fiction . They were shamed into
rescinding that Plan .
However I digressed ; If the WICBC/CWI was a genuine Entity , It would have realized that the ban imposed on Touring Teams not being able to play matches between the Test Matches , that would affect the Stamina & acclimatizing of Our Players when on Tour .
When England curtailed the number of Overseas Players playing Cricket in England , The People in the WICBC/CWI
Failed to understand the implications
these two Factors would have on the
competitiveness of Our Players and Teams in International Cricket .
A few years ago it dawned on the WICBC/CWI that it should have a Regional Cricket League . The point I
am stating is the fact that when the
ICC decided to curtail Tours , and then England decided to limit the number of Overseas Players . The WICBC DID NOTHING . This is precisely why we are at or near the Bottom of International Cricket .
When our Players were the Best in International Cricket the WICBC/ CWI
could have formed a Cricket League , I
have no doubt that It would have got
got many Financial Sponsors .
I cite this to illustrate the fact that
the WICBC/CWI quite frankly is a Blight on West Indies Cricket . To my knowledge , I have never ever heard
or read that the WICBC/CWI thanked
those Former Great Players who were in charge of the Shortest version of the game for their Stewardship of this version of the game .
The Serfs of the WICBC/CWI in the Media to my knowledge ,stated nary a word about the Stewardship of Our Former Players in the shortest version of the game .
Perhaps they were afraid that by
praising the Stewardship of those
former Players , that would have been
offensive to their Masters in the WICBC/CWI .
