It has been a harrowing few years for West Indies Cricket. Once all conquering, the halcyon days of Clive Lloyd, Vivien Richards, Michael Holding and Joel Garner are closer to the end of World War 2, than to now.

This summer they were whitewashed by an Australian side, batting as badly as Australia have in years, in three embarassing Caribbean tests.

Emergency meetings were called and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have announced how they intend to reverse the decline.

These are the areas they singled out for improvement:

• Declining quality of regional tournaments.
• Technical, tactical, and mental skills deficiencies.
• Underperforming franchise system.
• Gaps in infrastructure and facilities.
• Lack of specialist coaching support.
• Limited ICC revenue share and financial constraints.
• Fragmented player development pathways.
• Inadequate fitness and conditioning standards.

Some of these frailties were much in evidence during the defeat to Australia and there were no shortage of local experts, from former cricketers to taxi drivers, willing to confirm some of the other problems identified by the CWI.

One area where I can attest to is the first one mentioned, regarding the Regional Tournaments.

Earlier this year, I covered the Sir Garfield Sobers Under 19 Invitational, played in Barbados.

The Tournement itself was terrifically well organised. Buses turned up, the local umpires were competent and the scorers were wll trained. The grounds were fantastic. The hotel accomodation for visiting sides was excellent.

What was less good was the quality of the local sides. There were only two non West Indian sides out of 18. They both reached the final. Although the Cricket Academies provided stern opposition, some of the school sides did not.

For the Cricket Academies who represent the cream of Barbadian youth cricket, the gap between the school sides they faced and the overseas sides was massive and proved too big a gap to bridge.

Those players working hard to make the Academy Sides needed stiffer competition to improve to the level required when they finally represent Barbados, Guyana and finally the West Indies.

To that end, one recommendation; the establishment of standardized academies for ages 11–18 to feed into the High-Performance Program, seems an excellent start.

That observation is probably not wholly disconnected from the other conclusions that CWI drew.

Here is the full CWI Media Release outlining their conclusions.

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CWI Announces Immediate and Long-Term Reforms Coming Out of Emergency Cricket Strategy Committee Meeting Held in August

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a series of immediate and long-term reforms to strengthen West Indies cricket following an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee held in August. The meeting was convened after a run of disappointing results, including the historic defeat to Australia at Sabina Park in the final test of the series in July.

The session brought together a wide cross-section of key stakeholders, including West Indies legends Brian Lara and Sir Clive Lloyd, captains Shai Hope and Roston Chase, Head Coach and team management, and former players such as Anthony Gray and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Challenges Identified

The Committee highlighted ten critical challenges affecting the state of West Indies cricket, including:

Declining quality of regional tournaments.
Technical, tactical, and mental skills deficiencies.
Underperforming franchise system.
Gaps in infrastructure and facilities.
Lack of specialist coaching support.
Limited ICC revenue share and financial constraints.
Fragmented player development pathways.
Inadequate fitness and conditioning standards.

Following a series of intense discussions during, and in the weeks following the meeting, the Committee compiled a list of short-term and medium to long-term action items and objectives focus on addressing these gaps, which were presented to and approved by CWI’s Board of Directors during their Quarterly Meeting on September 25.

Immediate Actions (0–6 Months)

Recruitment of Specialist Coaches: An internationally proven batting coach will be hired to work across the system, and a full-time sports psychologist/performance coach will join the senior men’s team. The women’s team role will also be upgraded to a full-time role.

High-Performance Centre Project: A capital project proposal will be advanced for a state-of-the-art facility at Coolidge Cricket Ground, including modern nets, gym, and rehabilitation infrastructure.
Accountability and Standards: Franchise teams will now submit Individual Development Plans and meet new minimum standards. Player fitness will be closely tracked, supported by a new regional fitness leaderboard.

Further Actions (Medium to Long Term)

A National Cricket Development Framework unifying grassroots, school, academy, and high-performance pathways.

Comprehensive franchise reform to ensure accountability for player development and consideration of alternative professional models.

Establishment of standardized academies for ages 11–18 to feed into the High-Performance Program.

Completion of the High-Performance Centre in Antigua as the regional hub for elite development.
Greater focus on financial sustainability, including lobbying for equitable ICC revenue distribution and new partnerships with governments, private entities, and philanthropists.

A structured mentorship framework connecting current and former West Indies players with emerging talent.

CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe said:

“These reforms represent decisive action to strengthen our systems, raise standards, and provide the next generation of players with the tools, facilities, and mentorship they need to succeed. While challenges remain, our commitment to cricket development across the region is unwavering, and all efforts will be made to prioritize the execution of these initiatives.”

CWI will provide ongoing updates to stakeholders and fans as implementation begins across the regional cricket system.

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