CARICOM leaders discuss ways to revitalize West Indies cricket
Caribbean community (CARICOM) heads of government met on Thursday to address the ongoing challenges facing West Indies cricket during their 21st Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee (PMSC) meeting on cricket.
Chaired by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, the meeting took place at the CARICOM Secretariat in Turkeyen, just a day after the leaders’ engagement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne emerged as a key voice during the discussions, emphasizing the critical need to reinvigorate West Indies cricket. Browne highlighted the sport’s economic potential, describing cricket as a “billion-dollar business” and calling for strategies to restore the team’s former glory.
The prime minister advocated for a comprehensive approach to reviving the sport, including the development of educational materials.
He agreed with the recommendation of creating a textbook, producing a video, and introducing cricket as a curriculum subject in Caribbean schools to preserve and promote the region’s rich cricketing heritage.
He suggested conducting a diagnostic study to inform the development of educational resources and stressed the importance of developing players’ soft skills.
“Our players require the deployment of soft skills, which are just one element of a transformational approach to a resurgence of West Indies cricket,” he told his colleagues.
The meeting also addressed several key items, including outcomes from the CARICOM regional cricket conference held in April 2024, a review of potential funding proposals from Cage International, ongoing discussions with Cricket West Indies, and updates on the upcoming T20 World Cup and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) contracts.
