A new day in Windies Cricket…
Former West Indies Cricket team manager Ricky Skerritt has been appointed the new president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), after securing the necessary votes at the association’s Annual General Meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus on Sunday last.
By the official count, Skerritt and his running mate Dr Kishore Shallow had defeated incumbents Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron and Emmanuel Nanthan by an 8-4 margin.
Unofficially, it is reported that Skerritt and Shallow managed to secure the support of Trinidad and Tobago; Leeward Islands; Windward Islands; and Cameron’s home nation, Jamaica.
The incumbents Cameron and Nantan are believed to have received the support of Barbados and Guyana. The result ended a three-term spell for the Jamaican, which spanned a six-year period.
Cameron was first elected to the office in 2013 when he toppled former St Lucian diplomat Julian Hunte, to whom he had served as vice-president from 2007 until he took office.
During his tenure, Cameron has been credited with implementing improved retainer contracts for players and officials, restructuring the regional competitions, and improving relations with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). On his watch, the Windies team, while struggling in the world rankings, claimed two T20 World titles, and the women’s and youth titles.
Heading into the election, the Kittitian Skerritt had painted the incumbent as not having enough of a pro-cricket stance with his governance, and failing to commit to the establishment of term limits.
