Cricket West Indies
Currently known as Cricket West Indies (CWI), West Indies Cricket Board is one of the oldest cricket bodies across the globe. Started in the 1920s, it was earlier known as West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WCBC) but renamed themselves into West Indies Cricket Board in 1996. However, the board went on to rename themselves as Cricket West Indies in 2015 as a part of their restructuring of the board. With the change in name, the cricket board has opened itself up to commercialization and rebranding.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) aka West Indies Cricket Board governs multiple regional governing bodies in the Caribbean Islands. Under WICB’s ambit, there are six major regional bodies. They are Barbados Cricket Association, Guyana Cricket Association, Jamaica Cricket Association, Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Leewards Cricket Islands Association, and Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control.
Since 1926, West Indies Cricket Board are a full-time International Cricket Council member. Apart from conducting the International tournaments and West Indies A Cricket Team tournaments, they also hold multiple keys and regional tournaments which helps in the development of West Indies cricket.
They hold the tournaments like Regional Four Day tournaments, Regional Super 50 one day domestic competition along with Stanford 20/20 competition. Also, they hold the famous and star-studded league, Caribbean Premier League T20, which attracts multiple star players across the globe. Moreover, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has made Cricket West Indies in charge to aid the development of cricket in the Americas region.
# Cricket West Indies: History
The West Indies Cricket Board was created in different circumstances. There was no proper cricketing council in the Caribbean Islands that could organize the tournaments and tours for the players. The then players felt the strong need for an organization that could take care of the needs of the players.
With one of the famous members of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Mr. R. H. Mallet, an informal cricket board was formed in 1926 after a meeting at Barbados. In a formal meeting at Bridgetown Club in 1927, the structure of the board was decided.
After the rounds of discussions and brainstorming, the composition of the board was manifested. The board comprising a president along with a secretary and two delegates from each of the islands of Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Demerara. They allotted the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands with one delegate representation in 1927.
# Cricket West Indies: President
The current president of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) is Ricky Skerritt. After handling several portfolios as a minister of the West Indies government from 2004 to 2015 and being closely associated with West Indies Cricket Board as a team manager, he was elected as the president. Ricky Skerrit replaced Dave Cameron in 2019 as the president of the board.
The list of previous presidents are as follows:
| Sl No | Name of the President | Tenure |
| 1 | Sir Harold Austin | NA |
| 2 | Laurie Yearwood | NA |
| 3 | Fred Grant | NA |
| 4 | Karl Nunes | 1945-1952 |
| 5 | Sir Errol Dos Santos | 1952-1960 |
| 6 | John St Felix Dare | 1960-1966 |
| 7 | Tom Pierce | 1966-1970 |
| 8 | Robert Cecil Marley | 1970-1974 |
| 9 | Jeffrey Stollmeyer | 1974-1981 |
| 10 | Allan Rae | 1981-1988 |
| 11 | Sir Clyde Walcott | 1988-1993 |
| 12 | Captain Peter Short | 1993-1996 |
| 13 | Pat Rosseau | 1996-2001 |
| 14 | Reverend Wess Hall | 2001-2003 |
| 15 | Teddy Griffith | 2003-2005 |
| 16 | Ken Gordon | 2005-2007 |
| 17 | Julian Hunte | 2007-2013 |
| 18 | Dave Cameron | 2013-2019 |
With a rise in interest in cricket from Women’s, the West Indies Women’s Cricket Federation was created. However, according to the ICC mandate of 2005, WIWCF was merged with Cricket West Indies. However, the president of the WIWCF differs from that of CWI as Carp Whilby-Maxwell looks after the women’s cricket.
# Cricket West Indies: Secretary
To ensure the smooth functioning of the cricket board in the Island nation, the Cricket West Indies has created an additional position in the name of secretaries who are also known as Chief Executive Officers. The tradition of CEO’s started in 1982 when Stephen Camacho took the reins to his hands. He was successful in managing the board for a time period of 18 years. Since 2000, there is constant change in CEOs with the seventh CEO at the helm in 2020. Currently, Johnny Grave is the CEO of Cricket West Indies who was elected into the position in 2017.
Here’ the complete list of all the secretaries appointed in the history of Cricket West Indies:
- Stephen Camacho: 1982–2000
- Gregory Shillingford: 2000–2002
- Roger Brathwaite: 2003–2007 (acting from 2002)
- Bruce Aanensen: 2007–2007
- Donald Peters: 2007–2009
- Ernest Hilaire: 2009–2012
- Michael Muirhead: 2012–2016
- Johnny Grave: 2017–present
# Cricket West Indies: Headquarters
Cricket West Indies is responsible for the governance and development of the sport of cricket within the West Indies. Cricket West Indies’ headquarters is located at St. John’s, Antigua, and Barbuda. The current CEO of Cricket West Indies is Johnny Grave, while Ricky Skerritt is the current president of Cricket West Indies.
# Domestic Competition organised by Cricket West Indies:
Three major domestic cricket competitions organised by Cricket West Indies are as follows:
- Regional Super50
- Regional Four Day Competition
- Hero Caribbean Premier League
Following are the teams which participate in the above-mentioned cricket competitions:
- Barbados Cricket Team
- Guyana Cricket Team
- Jamaica Cricket Team
- Leeward Islands cricket Team
- Windward Islands Cricket Team
- Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Team
- Combined Campuses and Colleges Cricket Team
