Meeting sparked by historic batting collapse
A two-day Cricket West Indies (CWI) emergency meeting in Trinidad brought together some of the Caribbean’s greatest cricketing figures — including Sir Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul — alongside current head coach Daren Sammy and senior board executives. The talks were prompted by West Indies’ humiliating collapse for just 27 runs against Australia, the second-lowest total in Test history.
The agenda stretched beyond immediate on-field struggles, with participants pressing for a fairer ICC revenue distribution and voicing opposition to proposals for a two-tier World Test Championship (WTC) system that could see the West Indies relegated.
Lloyd: “We were the cash cows for a long time”
Speaking after the meeting, two-time World Cup-winning captain Sir Clive Lloyd said the West Indies’ history and global impact should be recognised in the ICC’s financial model.
“To me, it’s not right. We have to stand up. We have to go to the ICC and ask for special dispensation. Because when we were in the ascendancy, and we were playing so well, everyone wanted to play with us.”
“We were playing Australia very often, with England very often, and when we went to Pakistan or India, getting millions of people [to the grounds]. We need to get a better share of the pie, because we were the cash cows for a long time. And we need to get some of that. I am hoping the board follows up on that recommendation, where we can be adequately given the money that is needed.”
Lloyd also addressed the growing challenge of retaining talent in the face of lucrative T20 offers:
“People must realise that T20 is an exhibition and Test cricket is an examination. When you are getting offered the type of money that these guys are being offered, there’s only one way they’ll go. It’s a lot of money. The point is we have to try and keep the guys that we have, teach them the right things, and hope that our cricket will still be in shape.”
He further highlighted the scale of the disparity:
“We have to look at what’s happening at the ICC with the shareout of the money. India, Australia and England get 180 million and West Indies will get 80 million like Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and we are just two years out of being in that group for 100 years.”
Lara: “Find out what motivates youngsters today”
During a press conference after the meeting, Brian Lara warned that modern players’ priorities may differ from the past.
“When you see what’s happening around the world with the IPL, the American cricket league [MLC]. The motivational factors we have to tap into: what motivates youngsters today? It might not be just representing West Indies 365 days of the year. It might be playing in an IPL or a BBL, or something else. We have to find out those interests and see where West Indies cricket can still benefit from the youngsters.”
Referencing Nicholas Pooran’s retirement from international cricket at age 29, Lara added:
“It’s unfortunate [that] a young man at the age of 29, like Nicholas Pooran, will call an end to his international career. Find out why these things are happening and how we can stem that sort of situation and we get the best players to play for West Indies. Australia, India and England and these countries benefit from wholeheartedness from their players, the passion that they have playing for their country. We have to get that to return to West Indies cricket.”
Pride over pay: CWI’s reality check
CWI’s director of cricket Miles Bascombe accepted that the board cannot financially match the offers players receive from global franchise leagues:
“We will never be able to compete with franchise money, everybody acknowledges that. So it has to be pride. Pride in the performance and pride in representing the West Indies.”
CWI chief executive Chris Dehring stressed the importance of staying influential in ICC decision-making, especially with WTC reforms looming:
“All of that we have a role to play [in], we have a seat at the table at the ICC. We have to just stay abreast as close as possible to all the changes that could happen, position ourselves, hedging our bets so to speak, to make sure we are in there as West Indies cricket no matter which way the wind blows and try to take advantage of it.”
A fight for the future
The ICC is currently reviewing the WTC structure for the 2025–27 cycle, with a working group exploring a two-tier format. For a side that has finished eighth out of nine in all three editions of the competition, relegation would mean fewer matches against top-tier opponents and reduced exposure for players.
For the legends in Trinidad, the message was clear: West Indies cricket’s proud legacy, its financial viability, and its place among Test cricket’s elite all hang in the balance — and require immediate, united action on the global stage.
