CWI does not endorse local tournaments that fail to be approved by territorial board – Grave

By Brandon Corlette

On Wednesday, November 18, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave made it crystal clear, in an email, that CWI does not endorse or promote local tournaments of any age group that do not meet the approval of the relevant local territorial board.
In case you are at a loss, this relates to the Big Man Cricket failing to get approval from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), a territorial board. Although CWI has no serious or vested interest in Over 50s cricket, CWI continues to advocate for, and theoretically support, all organised cricket in the region.

In a Big Man Cricket release issued yesterday (Thursday November 20), there was the disclosure that the Big Man Cricket tournament would not bowl off as planned in November 2020, but at a later date in January/February 2021.
In Grave’s email, he noted that in order for the Big Man Cricket tourney to be hosted in Guyana, it is advisable that GCB approve of same, or have no objection to same.
The Big Man Cricket T25 tournament was scheduled to start on Sunday, November 22, 2020, but the release mentioned above disclosed that the committee deeply regretted having to make the unpopular decision of postponing same to 2021, “but rather than have a disjointed tournament, we made the bold decision to host the tournament when the weather is expected to be better and the environment healthier.”
CWI wrote to Big Man Cricket on November 8, noting the positive intention Big Man Cricket has: to put together an Over-50 cricket team to represent the West Indies at the Over-50 World Cup in South Africa in 2022, as well as the initiatives to promote Over-50 cricket by establishing “Big Man Cricket throughout the region at both Over-45 and Over-50 levels”.
Additionally, CWI applauded the efforts to promote Over- 50 cricket and to maintain the visibility of the West Indies in the global cricketing arena.
CWI had supported this same body last year in the lead-up to putting together a quality West Indies Over-50 team for the March 2020 Over-50 World Cup held in South Africa.
However, in the same email written on November 8, it stated CWI was not aware that this tournament had been officially sanctioned either by the International Cricket Council (ICC) or Cricket South Africa (CSA).
“We are not able to provide you with our official endorsement or approval. It should be made clear that the team has no official affiliation with Cricket West Indies,” Grave said in a CWI email.
CWI added, “With respect to you and your members’ promoting Over 45s and Over 50s games within the region, we have no objection at this time to such matches taking place on the basis of our understanding that none of the teams involved in these matches will feature any currently selected or active West Indies cricketers at either international or domestic level”.
Additionally, CWI made it pellucid that any such regional matches or tournaments are not being held under the auspices of CWI, and that neither the players not the members of any local organizing committee have any authority to speak on behalf of, or claim association with, CWI.