The statement by CWI President Ricky Skerrit, given in response to media reports of past mismanagement practices, and perhaps more, found by the international accounting firm PKF has brought to the surface the need for transparency in the administration of West Indies cricket; and at all levels of the game.
Moreover, the back and forth in the media has demonstrated the absolute requirement for the owners of West Indies cricket, the people of the region, to be informed on a timely basis of the good and bad regarding administrative decisions taken, and especially those relating to the expenditure of the financial resources of the Board.
President Skerrit could not help but react to the searing bouncer of Michael Holding aimed at forcing those with information held in their throats to cough it up. According to Holding, who in his heyday was known as “Whispering Death”, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) gave to the previous CWI executive US$500.000 to share amongst former cricketers who had given so much to world cricket – what a wonderful gesture of appreciation for the masters who ruled the cricket world for close on 15 years.
According to Holding, no one he spoke to had received any portion of the US$500,000 gift. So he queried aloud what had happened to the funds, and to other aspects of the work of the previous administration. In reaction to the bouncer by Holding, President Skerrit is now saying that while there was originally no intention to publish what he called an “internal report” – the presumption here must be that the report in question contained information not only about the funds but also about the general management of the CWI.
However, as President Skerrit has said, and you will see his statement below, that notwithstanding the fact that there was no intention to publish the report, no decision was ever taken by the Board to “hide”, “conceal” or “withhold” the PKF report.
Frankly, I don’t understand that logic: there was no intention to publish the report; yet he and his executive were not planning to hide the information in the report. When you read the statement you can make the judgment yourself.
The critical factor here, as far as this writer is concerned, is the need for the ever-glowing sunlight we have here in the Caribbean to constantly shine on matters relating to all aspects of West Indies cricket. We must never lose sight of the fact that the people of the region have made an investment of just over 90 years of the clichéd “blood, sweat and tears” in their representative team. As a tribute to that investment, nothing must stand in the way of the people gleaning full information on what is happening behind the scenes.
Once upon a time in the colonial period we blamed the “cork hat” former masters; we must now take full responsibility in this post-Independence era. The only way for us to do that is for full information to be revealed to us, the owners and supporters of West Indies cricket.
There can be no question of keeping major reports on the administration of cricket from the owners of the enterprise. This is needed not simply to “maco” but for the people of the region to be able to discern who and what have been responsible for good and bad in their administration. Only in such an environment of full release of information on investigations and analyses of the administration of the game, can the people of the region make sensible decisions about who is good and who is bad for our cricket.
Full disclosure is the best insurance policy against wrong-doing by administrators and all others.
President Skerrit and his executive must also know that the same kind of broad daylight scrutiny must apply to this administration. But the inquisition must not start and stop at the CWI. The said same bright Caribbean sun must shine on the operations of all the national boards and zones which make up the boards.
It cannot be that quality and transparent operations are only to be practiced at the regional level. Indeed if the administration of cricket at the local levels throughout the West Indies is seriously deficient we cannot expect the CWI will be virtuous in transparency and rectitude; after all, it is the local administrators who eventually make their way to the top of the heap.
So while you read the immediate statement of President Skerrit, let’s make him and the CWI aware that the people of the region are awaiting, and not too patiently, release of the full PKF report.
Statement from Cricket West Indies President, Ricky Skerritt
on the 2019 CWI Business Situation Assessment and Financial Review, and its Public Release
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Upon assuming office in April 2019, just over a year ago; in keeping with our theme of “Cricket First”, and promises of governance reform and financial transparency, the new CWI President and Vice President (with the support of the Directors of CWI) immediately undertook the process of seeking to systematically address and rectify several areas across the organization which we believed were cause for concern.
One of the first three of these actions was the review of the CWI team selection system, which was successfully undertaken by a Task Force led by the Vice President, which commenced in May, over a three-month period.
Simultaneously, the Accounting and Management Consulting firm of Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF), was engaged for a six-month period to conduct a business situation assessment and review of the organisation’s financial management systems, and to provide recommendations for addressing any shortcomings.
Additionally, and not long after, another Task Force was established, led by Senator Don Wehby. The remit of that Task Force was to review the governance system and practices of the organization, and to make recommendations to address any needed reforms. The final Wehby governance reform report is expected to come to hand in the near future.
In carrying out its assessments PKF uncovered some illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices. It verified and emphasized the need for drastic operational reorganization and realignment, with an urgent need for improved risk assessment and cash flow management. The PKF consultants accordingly presented their report in person to the CWI Board of Directors in December; and their twenty-eight (28) recommendations were unanimously adopted. Publishing the document was never considered by the Board, as the report is an internal report.
Accordingly, CWI has since been in the process of implementing those recommendations as swiftly as we are able, and several of these recommendations have already been fully incorporated into the organisation’s day to day operations, including:
reinforcing the President’s role as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, with responsibility for strategic policy and governance, while empowering and supporting the CEO and his management team with full responsibility for all operational aspects of the organization;
realigning the organisation’s leadership, reporting, and functional structure, to enhance accountability and reestablish clear lines of authority and responsibility;
strengthening internal controls and ensuring timely reconciliation and reporting of all accounts; and
modifying fundamental management practices to ensure transparency, and best practices.
discontinuing the operations of the Executive Committee of The Board
reporting to the Board on a timely basis, the accurate financial situation.
Since the adoption of the PKF report six months ago, numerous references to the existence of the report have been made in media statements and interviews by the CWI CEO, Vice President, and myself. I can confidently assure you that at no time was there any decision taken by the Board or anyone associated with CWI to “hide”, “conceal”, “withhold” or “hold-back” the PKF report. However, in light of an apparent recent access to some of its contents by the media, the CWI Board will now have to contemplate whether it may be appropriate at this time for the report to be shared publicly.
In closing, I want to assure all stakeholders of West Indies cricket that whether the PKF report is made public or not, CWI will not be distracted from correcting, and learning from, any identifiable missteps or shortcomings of the past. I am determined as the President of this Board, to ensure that CWI conducts its business with integrity, accountability and transparency and without fear or favor, affection or ill-will.
-ENDS-
Wonderfully written sir. I whole heartedly support the call for your suggested level of transparency and accountability from every level of cricket administration. It is past time that we the people get much deserved clarity on the matters that have affected our beautiful game.