Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring believes that cricket’s return to multi-sport events could significantly boost the sport’s development across the Caribbean.
Speaking at a recent CWI press conference, he said inclusion in competitions such as the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games would provide greater international exposure at the national level, which he believes will strengthen West Indies cricket’s overall standard.
“We believe all the multi-sport events taking place in the hemisphere where cricket is now becoming a part of is an incredible opportunity,” Dehring said. “If you think about West Indies cricket as a sum of its parts, it allows individual countries to gain international exposure, which should encourage greater national investment and ultimately improve the quality of our players.”
Unlike most international teams, the Caribbean competes as a single West Indies unit, but multi-sport events require athletes to represent their individual countries.
Dehring acknowledged this unique situation, noting the challenge of balancing regional unity with national representation.
He also expressed confidence that the Caribbean can successfully manage both identities in the evolving sporting landscape.
“The West Indies is not a national team, it’s an amalgam that has survived almost against the odds,” he noted. “But the bond is strong, and I have no fear about our countries competing individually in these events under the coordination of Cricket West Indies.”
Cricket West Indies plans to host internal qualification tournaments among its member territories to select representatives for events like the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games.
Dehring said this approach could spark new rivalries, increase regional interest, and encourage greater investment from individual governments.
“If you think about Barbados playing Trinidad and Tobago for a spot in the PanAm Games, you can understand the excitement and direction we’re heading in,” he said.
The CEO explained that for the Olympic Games, only one Caribbean nation will progress from regional qualifiers to the International Cricket Council’s global qualification stage.
There, they will face established cricketing nations for a spot at the 2028 Olympics.
“That presents an exciting prospect-one of our countries going up against teams like New Zealand or Pakistan for a place in the Olympics,” Dehring added.
The Caribbean has already begun transitioning into multi-sport competition, recently sending teams to the Bolivarian Games, where cricket made its debut.
Looking ahead, the sport is set to feature at the Pan American Games in 2027 and the Olympic Games in 2028, with hopes that at least one Caribbean nation will qualify.
Dehring believes this shift could be transformative, boosting player development and increasing grassroots investment across the region.
“By the time players reach West Indies level, they will be better prepared,” he said.
“This is about building stronger systems within our individual countries, which ultimately strengthens West Indies cricket as a whole,” Dehring added.
