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WHILE WE bask in the afterglow of the West Indies’ shock result against Australia, let’s take advantage of the outpouring of affection it has elicited.

Shamar Joseph, the irresistible boy from Baracara, fought through the pain, inexperience, and Australian aura of invincibility to remind the world that our talent still flickers. What it is starved of are the resources to reignite, something the world game is not short on. But the West Indies does not get a share commensurate with our unique contribution to the staggering economics of today’s game.

Technological advances, plus the popularity of Limited Over formats are responsible for the commercial explosion of cricket, now the second biggest sport by fan base and top five in revenues. The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) US$6.2 billion in broadcast rights, on a per match basis, makes it the most valuable sports league in the world, eclipsing even America’s National Football League (NFL). Major League Cricket in the USA threatens to ‘nitro’ that fast-growing market, funded by titans like Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and Mukesh Ambani, the world’s 10th richest man. Our equity in this phenomenal commercial and geographic growth needs to be accounted for.

Read more at Jamaica Gleaner

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

I endorse this totally. The WI popularized the game in the late 70s and 80s to such an extent that it set the platform for t20 cricket and the IPL. The people charged with running our cricket though owe us the promise that they would not ruin our patrimony and heritage. CWI that is you I’m talking about

In reply to Jumpstart

business does work so?

In reply to doosra

Nope. Not at all. Purely from a sentimental point of view. From a cold hard business point of view. West Indies cricket dug and jumped in its own grave. Yuh can’t have little to no talent development, poor infrastructure and maladministration and expect to be #1. Only in the minds of Bajan cricket fans(there is a differentiation to be made between bajan cricket fans and ordinary bajans, who are magnificent, intelligent and very industrious people)and the entirety of the OECS does that work( with the exception of Antigua)

You can always expect to find more innovative ways of begging in these parts ...

WI sent a team to England during COVID, with players getting reduced tour fees!

In reply to camos

England played 8 intl games last december here

they are hosting WI in the summer

should we be asking them for compensation for the cricketers who propped up county cricket?

In reply to Jumpstart

Total rubbish
They owe us nothing
Do we owe English leagues for developing Viv Greenidge et al
Pls give me a break, this begging mentality must stop

In reply to doosra

I think England are back in the Caribbean later this year for another white ball series.

They've repaid the favour from West Indies during covid.

In reply to allan

This is why you must read my second comment

In reply to allan

“Total rubbish
They owe us nothing
Do we owe English leagues for developing Viv Greenidge et al”.
I have been following West Indies cricket since in the midto late 70’s and I cannot remember English league developing any of our cricketers. Yes Viv, Greenidge and several of our cricketers played in the English league but they were not developed by the English league. Our guys were already superstars when they joined the English league and if any thing they were the ones that helped develop those English leagues because at that time the world was saying that our shell shield back then was better than the English league. So because in the 90’s we were able to bring in an English team to participate in our domestic league should we say we developed them? Should we say we helped develop those international players playing in our CPL we helped to develop them? Answer is a big NO! It was Viv, Greenidge and others that helped develop the English league.

In reply to Sylobaby

So if we should give the English league the credit for developing our players like Viv, Greenidge, Richie, Haynes, Lloyd, Roberts, Holding, Croft, Marshall and others, then why could that same English league not develop their own players to beat us? Why could England just not beat the West Indies? Yes the English league gave more playing opportunities to our players but they didn’t develop our players. We helped develop their players and their league. England would NEVER contracted our players to develop them. All of the above named players and others were already world beaters when they were contracted by the English league so they could help develop English players. Let’s get that right because I am fed up of hearing about English league developing our players. Now they are much better than the West Indies why are they not contracting our current players to develop them?

In reply to Sylobaby

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

West Indies are owed nothing. Instead of looking for handouts and freebies, why don't we acquire some intelligence and handle our business the way other cricketing countries do theirs. Due to our lack or intelligence and vision, cricket in the West Indies has gone to the dogs. Winning has become so rare that one good performance by one team member (not to take anything away from Mr. Joseph) is celebrated as the greatest performance in cricket ever. Recently, for the first time, we couldn't even make the world cup. Let's stop looking for pity and handouts and start acting like equals to the other cricketing nations. And that will be manifested in better performances from both our cricketers as well as administrators.