Many people have commented on the structure of West Indies Cricket Board and its immediate need to be streamlined to produce greater efficiency.
There have been several good suggestions put forward, and this is another attempt to put the issue under microscope, and make a recommendation of another structure for the WICB which can be considered.
Following studies of the structure of the other full members of the International Cricket Council, as well as other sports organizations inside and outside of the Caribbean, the best model for a reconstituted WICB – to be rechristened Cricket West Indies – would be one that is fully representative of all the nations under its umbrella.
This model would also allow associate and affiliate members to be part of the process of West Indies cricket, and to make their contribution to the management of the game in the Caribbean.
First, all 16 national cricket associations currently recognised by the WICB – i.e. Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and United States Virgin Islands – should comprise the Active (Full) Membership of the WICB.
Secondly, all the other countries in the Caribbean – i.e. Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, Suriname, and Turks & Caicos Islands – should be invited to hold Associate Membership of the WICB.
Thirdly, all cricket-related associations and civil society organizations with a vested interest in West Indies cricket – e.g. West Indies Players Association, West Indies Cricket Umpires Association, West Indies Women’s Cricket Federation, Caribbean Community, and the University of the West Indies – should be invited to hold Affiliate Membership of the WICB.
Finally, all organizations willing to advance the cause of West Indies cricket, and commercial enterprises, specifically the several sponsors of West Indies cricket, should be invited to hold Honorary Membership.
With this structure in place, there is now a greater scope for accountability from the WICB, since the power will not rest in the hands of a few people, and it would also allow for a wider exchange of ideas.
All categories of members – except Honorary Members – will have the privilege to attend and to vote at all general meetings of the WICB, but only a delegate from one of the Active Members can hold the posts of President or Vice President.
A delegate from one of the Associate Members can hold no posts higher that that of Director on the Executive Committee.
Affiliate and Honorary Members will have no right to hold a position on the Executive Committee, except in an honorary capacity – i.e. ex-officio role – to allow the directors the freedom to co-opt them in specific cases. Additionally, Honorary Members have no voting rights.
All positions must be filled from the representatives of the countries attending the annual general meeting, or the special meeting called for the sole purpose of the election of officers and directors of the WICB, as is done in many other sports inside and outside the Caribbean.
Once an NCA representative is elected to a post on the WICB Executive, he can no longer serve on that NCA.
The Executive Committee of the WICB would comprise nine members, specifically a President, a Vice President, the Chief Executive Officer in the role of General Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer in the role of Treasurer, the Chief Operations Officer in the role of Director of Cricket, and four other independent directors.
The President and the Vice President can hold office for four years and no more than two terms, while the four directors will be elected on a rotational basis, with the two directors gaining the least votes under this new scheme up for re-election for a full four-year term after two years, and the two directors gaining the most votes under this new scheme up for a second term after four years.
The Executive Committee would meet no less than quarterly to discuss the affairs of the WICB, outline policy, and set targets for the staff working in the corporate headquarters in Antigua to attain from time-to-time.
The day-to-day business would be fully managed by the CEO with a full complement of staff to cover all the areas of operation, and this would help to decrease the micro-management of the WICB that is so prevalent today, so the tenor of its operations becomes more corporate.
