The death of West Indies Test cricket

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonzales has written the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), suggesting that a three-member Caricom Group be assembled to assist the regional board in finding a solution to the current crisis in West Indies cricket. West Indies cricket has made world headlines over the past few weeks after the team pulled out of their tour of India, citing issues with their payment structure. Gonzales, in his letter, addressed to Dave Cameron, president of the WICB, said that he has been following the issue and he thinks that Caricom’s involvement is critical in finding a solution.

According to Gonzales: “My proposal is not novel but the urgency now demands it be embraced. Accordingly, I recommend that a three-member Caricom Group be assembled for this engagement, comprising the Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and current Chairman of Caricom, Dr the Hon Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, an experienced leader who has a profound interest in West Indies cricket and the Most Honourable Percival Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, whose heroic engagements with West Indies cricket and the WICB are legendary and productive. “This Caricom Group will no doubt be serviced by suitable personnel from the Officer of Caricom’s Secretary General. I am prepared to assist in any appropriate capacity. As you are aware I was centrally involved, with former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and PJ Patterson, in facilitating the resolution of the celebrated stand off between the WICB and Mr Chris Gayle.”

Gonzales is also suggesting that the following subjects be at the core of the engagement between the Caricom Group and WICB.
• The current dispute between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association.
• The necessary and desirable settlement of the many-sided tug and pull between the WICB and the BCCI. (The Caricom Group is well placed to assist not only with the cricketing authority in India, but possibly with the Indian Government).
• The sustainable funding of West Indies cricket.
• The renewal of the conversation on further possible reforms in the management and administrative systems of WICB and West Indies cricket, between Caricom’s Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on cricket and the WICB.

Gonzales ended by saying that this huge complicated manner cannot only be handled by the WICB. “I have no doubt that you have been touching base with various Prime Ministers and private sector leaders for advice on the way forward. But I do not think this huge, complicated matter can be handled in an ad hoc manner or by the WICB alone.”
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West Indies legend Brian Lara has called on the West Indies Cricket Board to take a long, hard look at themselves in trying to figure out the current salary dispute, saying there must be a reason this keeps happening.

Lara opined: "I would like for changes to be made administratively, because many changes have been made on the cricket field with cricketers - some careers have been affected by it.
"But I've not seen any great movement by the West Indies administrators. Something new will have to be done.
"If we keep coming up with the same problems all the time then you've got to look inward and see if we can do something differently, because they are in fact the ones who are controlling the game.
"If the game is in the situation it is now. Look into the mirror."