Sunday 10 / August / 2025
Saint John's : At the request of Cricket West Indies President Kishore Shallow, an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy & Officiating Committee commenced here to address critical challenges facing West Indies cricket and implement immediate structural reforms.
The two-day summit began on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad and aims to bring together the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee, with such members as former West Indies players Desmond Haynes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ian Bradshaw, as well as special invitees Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards. Also in attendance will be senior men's players and coaching staff led by head coach Daren Sammy.
Cricket West Indies Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe welcomed the imminent important discussions and the value of heeding the President's call to convene.
"This summit represents a critical turning point for West Indies cricket. We hope to engage in frank, honest and solutions-oriented discussions with coaches, former and current players, and administrators," said Bascombe.
"What we hope will emerge is a unified vision and a clearly defined, comprehensive framework designed to correct systemic inadequacies and close the performance gap at the elite level. This is not about quick fixes but identifying the structural reforms necessary across our development and high-performance systems, and strategic short and long-term initiatives required to drive the necessary change, " added Bascombe.
The first day of talks will focus on "High Performance Strategy and Structural Reform". Wide-ranging panel discussions will examine current team performance challenges and identify immediate improvement strategies.
The focus on day two will shift to "Player-Centred High-Performance Solutions" with direct input from current senior players and coaching staff about performance gaps and team ambitions.
Head Coach Daren Sammy will lead a coaching staff feedback session to address the team's brand of cricket as well as any immediate difficulties, while players will be able to speak candidly about their experiences.
This meeting is CWI's response to ongoing performance concerns to ensure swift action on critical areas identified during the two-day strategic review. Implementation of the meeting's outcomes is expected to begin immediately, and progress updates will be provided as restructuring is deployed across all levels of West Indies cricket.
Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dehring also highlighted the significance of the think tank.
"This emergency strategic meeting is not simply a reaction but a necessary intervention. The performance of our senior men's team has raised legitimate concerns among our fans, stakeholders and partners and we could not afford to continue with business as usual", he said. "We expect deep, transparent conversations with the people closest to the action, such as our players, coaches and selectors and what we hope to emerge is a serious, organisation-wide commitment to change. As administrators, we are determined to support these reforms with the necessary resources, infrastructure and leadership. West Indies cricket deserves no less."
A press briefing will be held following the conclusion of the final day of talks, on Monday at 3 PM in the Hyatt Meeting Room, to shed light and share insights on the outcome of the sessions.
This briefing will be broadcast live on the Windies Cricket YouTube Channel and will feature a moderated Q&A session to allow both in-person journalists and online viewers to pose questions to a select panel, ensuring broad accessibility to the media, cricket community and stakeholders.
The panel will include CWI CEO Chris Dehring, Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, legendary former captain Sir Clive Lloyd and Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee Chair Enoch Lewis. During this briefing, DoC Miles Bascombe will provide detailed insights into the strategic themes and long-term strategies developed during the meeting.
