WICB VP defends decision to cut four-day season
VICE-PRESIDENT of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron has come out in defence of the Board’s decision to shorten this season’s regional four-day tournament.
The WICB has been bombarded with criticism since its decision to revert to a six-round format, after last year’s round-robin form was hailed as being the right move forward for the region. Some cricket experts have also questioned the wisdom of the introduction of day-night matches and the use of pink balls for the first time for the region’s domestic four-day tournament.
Speaking at a press launch of the 2010 cricket series at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston yesterday, Cameron pointed out that while the WICB would prefer to have 12 rounds of matches, they had to cut back expenses this year to brace for tough times in coming months.
“West Indies Cricket Board only earns revenue when the West Indies team plays at home,” he said, while adding that the WICB earns “maximum amount of revenue” during home series versus the likes of India, England and Australia.
India, with an approximate population of 1.2 billion, is propelled by television and internet broadcasting rights and is widely regarded as the financial power centre of world cricket.
Said Cameron: “The other (Test) teams we play we actually lose money. This year we are hosting Zimbabwe and South Africa, so the WICB is faced with some challenges at all times. As you know all the money is being earned in India, to the detriment of some of the smaller (international cricket) nations,” he lamented.
Cameron accepts that the Board should be blamed for not being able to attract sponsorship for the tournament for yet another season and insists that measures are being put in place to correct this. “It’s not that we are not at fault… we do not have a sponsor again for this year’s series, (and) we are actually (working on) hiring senior personnel to help us with our marketing outside of the region,” he said.
The vice-president believes the use of pink balls and the playing of day night games should help the Board in its quest to lift spectator support and ultimately assist in raising funds to allow the resumption of the 12-round format next season.
“We are always chided that we are always behind. Bear in mind this is an experiment and we welcome criticism and feedback. We need that in order to improve. Let us not be fearful of trying new things,” he said.
Vice-president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, Lyndel Wright, who is also a director of the WICB, stressed that players also have a huge role to play in attracting sponsors to the regional tournament.
“Players must be mindful that it’s about their performance and their performance will lift West Indies cricket. Players must recognise that it’s based on their performance that our cricket can be advanced, not only in their territories, but in the region,” said the former leg-spinner, who represented Jamaica in the 1960s and 1970s.