Guyanese President delivers powerful address on opening day of CARICOM Cricket symposium

Apr 26, 2024 Sports

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2024 CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference Day 1…

“Today is an important day in the region, because cricket is not only played on the field but in the hearts of our people” – President Ali

Kaieteur Sports – The Opening Ceremony of the CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference held at Hyatt Regency, Trinidad Tobago yesterday broke new ground as the Region’s elite gathered to celebrate, recognize and reveal plans which will aid in the continued growth of West Indies Cricket.

Themed under the term ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket – A Symposium for Strategic Collaboration and Innovation’, the event was chaired by Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago and CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket, Dr. the Hon. Keith Rowley.

Among the distinguished guest speakers, President of the Republic of Guyana His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, Dr. Rowley himself of Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados Prime Minister the Honorable Mia Mottley, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow among other former legendary players like Sir Clive Lloyd, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, among others.

“We do not intend to give up on cricket. We intend to defend cricket and we intend to play cricket at the highest level, and we will get back to the top,” said Dr. Rowley

He continued, “I want to say today that in the interest of West Indies Cricket and managing resources that are available to us and should be available to us, that it is absolutely essential for West Indies Cricket to reopen the CPL contract and to look at the resources available to West Indies cricket.”

However, the opening day of the symposium was headlined by a passionate feature address delivered by President Ali, who spoke intensely on the current state of cricket while pitching a wide array of ideas and solutions which are directed towards the reshaping of what the President dubbed as the Ecosystem of Cricket.

“Today is an important day in the region, because cricket is not only played on the field but in the hearts of our people. But we have to look at the entire cricket ecosystem if we are to address the issues in the Caribbean,” said the Guyanese President.

He added that the sport is incorporated into the lives of the people, linked to a number of areas including the economy and tourism. President Ali said that it was highly important to redefine this brand of cricket that the West Indies represented, adding that recreating, expanding, rebranding and creating global avenues; all while protecting this redefined brand of cricket; is paramount.

“We were known for fearsome fast-bowling and elegant stroke-play but the rules were changed to deny us form this brand of cricket and we allowed the rules to change”, citing that now is the ideal time to master and expand the product which is West Indies cricket.

Expanding on his cricket developmental model, the Guyanese leader said identifying threats and opportunities while redefining West Indies Cricket, is important as the game is now shifting towards a more franchise-related model which is associated with football among other sports.

“You must see a different vibe, a different energy, a different style. How do we create smart stadiums? And whether or not the current stadiums are attractive enough to give the personalized experience that fans want globally now from sporting events,” said his Excellency.

“We have threats with the growing North American cricket, which can bring in a lot more fans and a lot more revenue. I believe we need to examine whether we can move the West Indies Cricket Board to the American Cricket Board because we have to now work toward owning cricket in the Americas and develop a strategy where West Indies cricket becomes the owner of cricket within the Americas.

The now extinct Champions League T20 tourney was among the top T20 competitions prior to the emergence of the Global craze which is franchise T20 cricket (IPL, CPL, BPL, etc.). The League, which first bowled off back in 2009, featured the best T20 stars from across nations like Australia, India and South Africa.

The tournament bowled the last overs in history back in 2014 but President Ali hinted at a new ground-breaking move which could see newer heights being reached in the sports regionally and internationally.

“In Guyana, we are working with the West Indies Cricket Board, CPL, and the ICC to launch a new product for the region that will position the region in the global market; the World Premier League. We are hoping that it will replace what used to be the Champions League.”

Day 2 of the symposium will conclude today.

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• CARICOM, cricket, Guyanese, President, symposium

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