CWI facing fireworks on social media

Several West Indies fans have taken to social media platforms to tell Cricket West Indies (CWI) how they truly feel about the challenges facing the game in the region.

The regional governing body recently embarked on a campaign to promote its ideology following the publication of the 2025 annual report. The outreach features graphics on its social media pages, with statements from president Dr Kishore Shallow, chief executive officer Chris Dehring, and director of cricket Miles Bascombe.

All three ended with a call to action and directed readers to access the 2025 annual report on CWI’s website.

This follows recent attempts to engage the public, including a media conference hosted by the trio and open to journalists from around the world. A few days later, they made an appearance on the Mason & Guests radio talk show on Starcom Network, addressing concerns over the revamped Regional Four-day First-class Championship, which is down to 12 matches from 28 last year. They also explained the board’s position on the schedule of matches for the upcoming international home series.

In its most recent financial report released last month, CWI disclosed that in 2025 it recorded a significant net income loss compared to a net surplus of over US$22 million in 2024. The board said its cash resources had also fallen from US$17.5 million in 2024 to US$1.7 million in 2025.

The responses from the public on the CWI platforms varied. Some were well thought out and articulated, some offered ideas on the way forward, others were humorous and aimed at gaining “likes”, while a few questioned the organisation’s ability to remain a viable force on the international stage.

In response to Dehring, one fan on Instagram asked: “What’s the strategy to achieve this goal? We need to see some signs of substance, not just nice words. What’s the plan boss”?

Another fan on Facebook took Bascombe to task, saying: “Targeted improvements that don’t show up on scoreboards . . . . So, all those marginal gains amounting to nothing tangible/ measurable?”

Another poster, under the name Ganesh Mahabir, believed to be the former Trinidad and Tobago spin bowler, called for an audit of CWI as soon as possible. This was echoed by others, some of whom called for the resignation of the board of directors.

Amid the present financial challenges, Dehring posited the view that “the major task at hand is to revamp our production pipeline to make it fit for purpose in the modern paradigm”.

In Bascombe’s post, he urged the fan to support the regional side despite the poor showing on the field.

Last year, West Indies men played ten Tests – winning one (in Pakistan), losing eight and drawing one. Among the defeats was one to Australia in which the Windies suffered the embarrassment of being bowled out for 27 in Jamaica – the lowest total in the history of West Indies cricket. The women’s team fell short at the qualification tournament in Pakistan and failed to qualify for the World Cup in India.

Bascombe noted: “The 2025 cricket year is best understood not through wins and losses alone, but through the lens of deliberate, measurable improvement. Building a winning international team is not a single event – it is the accumulation of marginal gains across technique, conditioning, tactics and culture and systems that, over time, translate into sustained performance.

“By that measure, 2025 was a year of meaningful forward movement for CWI.” (PS)

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