Cricket West Indies (CWI) is currently navigating a severe financial crisis, with reports indicating that the organization’s cash reserves plummeted from $27 million to a mere $1.7 million at the end of the last financial year.
The financial hemorrhage coincides with a widespread decline in the performance of West Indies cricket teams across all formats, including Men’s, Women’s, Test, One Day International, and T20 matches.
Amidst these struggles, CWI’s leadership has come under heavy fire for adopting what has been described as a “Trumpian disrespect” towards critics. When Mariano Brown, a prestigious chartered accountant, economist, and former Minister in Trinidad and Tobago, criticized CWI’s recent financial report for lacking critical information, CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow publicly dismissed him as “ignorant”.
Similarly, CWI Public Relations Officer Jamal Slocombe recently clashed with Gonsalves on a radio broadcast, virtually calling the former Prime Minister a liar before later issuing a private apology.
The current administrative turmoil stands in stark contrast to previous regional investments in the sport.
Gonsalves recalled the massive efforts made by St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, which included spending $54 million on local cricket facilities and earning high praise from the International Cricket Council for their hospitality and infrastructure.
Local investments continued recently with nearly $40 million spent on World Cup preparations, upgrading playing fields across the island from Victoria Park to Sandy Bay.