Legendary captain supports effort to reform West Indies cricket

Legendary captain supports effort to reform West Indies cricket
Sir Vivian Richards.
Associated Press / Michael Kim

Legendary former West Indies Test captain Sir Vivian Richards is in support of CARICOM’S efforts at governance reform in West Indies cricket.

Sir Viv, who has never lost a Test series as captain, said he believed the regional nation grouping’s intentions were genuine and were aimed at correcting some of the problems which had plagued the sport regionally.

“They are not in anyway, in my opinion, looking to run the board or anything of that particular factor, the 66-year-old Antiguan told the Antigua Observer newspaper.

“They’re just looking basically to address some of the problems which we have in terms of administration wise and things like that,” he said.

CARICOM is challenging Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) right, as a private entity, to manage the “public good” of West Indies cricket.

While CWI has resisted endorsing the 2015 Governance Report, which recommended the “immediate dissolution” of CWI, CARICOM has continued to agitate for change, and only recently approached the ICC to stake out its position.

The ICC, however, made it clear it would only agree to such a meeting if embattled CWI President Dave Cameron was present, which Sir Viv supports.

The ICC has suggested a November meeting, but Chairman of CARICOM’S sub-committee on cricket, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said CARICOM would press ahead with laying the legislative groundwork for governance reform.