BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, GDP – West Indies Cricket (CWI) chief executive Johnny Grave says last Sunday’s controversial events that forced the adjournment of the AGM have threatened to derail much of the significant progress made in brand repair West Indies cricket. in recent years.
In the wake of the fiasco, Grave said CWI had been forced to reach out to the governing body’s commercial partners and other stakeholders to reassure them about the stability of West Indies cricket.
The Englishman stressed that it was essential that the deferred AGM scheduled for April 11 should come off as planned to prevent any further collapse and damage to the West Indies cricket brand.
“I believe very clearly that the reputation of this organization in the eyes of the world is extremely important to the West Indies cricket brand,” said Grave.
“And I think we’ve made huge progress over the last few years in repairing that brand, not just globally but within the region – for fans in the way we’ve had no shock and news on the field and certainly less so away from late.
“But the recent events have certainly damaged the brand and I and the rest of the executive have spent… hours talking to sponsors, broadcasters and assuring our stakeholders that the AGM will go ahead on the 11th and we very much hope that it will do it all this affects us. ”
He added: “In this case, it is extremely disappointing where I sit because I think as the chief executive of West Indies Cricket; our accounts have never been in a better state. ”
The Barbados Cricket Association and the Guyana Cricket Board canceled a virtual meeting last Sunday, leaving the meeting short of a nine-member quorum and forcing it to be postponed.
More significantly, the postponement delayed the presidential elections that were expected to place GCB’s Anand Sanasie against incumbent president Ricky Skerritt and BCA’s Calvin Hope against CWI vice president Dr Kishore Shallow.
Sanasie and Hope subsequently announced that they were rejecting their bid for CWI leadership.
The APB and GCB argued that CWI had not provided the stated audited financial statements 14 days in advance, thus not giving them sufficient time to consider them and thus causing its representatives to omit the AGM.
But Grave said territorial boards had the audited statements 14 days before the AGM as needed. The consolidated financial statements, however, which were only required due to the recent acquisition of Coolidge Cricket Ground, were issued to shareholders on March 26.
Grave also stressed that the consolidated statements had also been a late request by the auditors.
“This is the first time in our history that we have had consolidated financial statements because we now own Coolidge Cricket Ground Inc., a subsidiary,” Grave told Mason cricket show and Guest Starcom Radio.
“Apart from the rental income from the Antigua Athletic Club and some car park rent, all running costs for that cricket ground are already in the CWI accounts, so there is a significant difference between our financial statements and those consolidated with AGM is very small.
“That’s why the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and Finance Committee approved the audited statements on Tuesday, March 9, that’s why the Board of Directors approved them on March 11 subject to those consolidated audited statements.”
Grave said with the adjournment of the fortnightly AGM, he hoped it would now provide enough time for the APB and GCB to look over the consolidated statements, so a quorum could be obtained and the meeting proceeded as scheduled.
“Why would shareholders take any action that damages their company brand and damages my reputation is unimaginable … but I continue to be amazed and dismayed by some of the actions,” noted Grave.
“I sincerely hope, perhaps naively, that the 11th happens. Barbados made it clear that they wanted longer to look at the consolidated statements so they would now have had four weeks to look at CWI accounts and another two weeks to look at CCG’s accounts.
“I would like to think that the APB would attend on that basis.”