Historic Round Table to Examine Cricket as a Public Good in the Caribbean
Panel to Feature Prime Minister Gonsalves, Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Andy Roberts, and Other Cricketing Greats
As part of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Emancipation Cricket Festival 2025, the Emancipation Festival Organising Committee has announced a landmark Round Table Discussion under the theme: “Cricket as a Public Good.”
Scheduled for 2nd August, 2025, this high-level forum will gather some of the most distinguished minds in Caribbean cricket and public life to explore the historical, cultural, and developmental power of the game. The conversation in reframing cricket will be centered around, cricket as a sport and an essential tool for nation-building, cultural identity, education, youth empowerment, and regional unity.
The round table will be moderated by Andre Mason, host of the regional programme Mason and Guest Show, and will feature reflections and dialogue among the following panelists:
- Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves – Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, cricket historian and author
- Sir Clive Lloyd – Legendary West Indies Captain
- Sir Andy Roberts – Iconic West Indian Fast Bowler
- His Excellency Deryck Murray – Former West Indies Wicketkeeper and Sporting Ambassador
- Mr. Michael Findlay – Former West Indies Cricketer and Administrator (Vincentian)
Key themes will include:
- Cricket’s role in shaping post-colonial Caribbean identity
- The present and future structure of Cricket West Indies
- Sport as a vehicle for education, youth development, and social mobility
- Regional unity and diplomacy through cricket
- Preserving the legacies of the sport’s heroes
The format includes reflections by each panelist, a guided discussion, and audience participation via a Questions and Answer segment. The discussion will culminate in a call to action, expected to generate policy suggestions and bolster the case for cricket as a catalyst for development.
This event is open to a specially invited audience, including government officials, members of the cricket fraternity, the press, and key stakeholders. This round table session is expected to have lasting regional significance, both as an educational record and as a policy driver.
