CARICOM Leaders gathered at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, on Thursday 21 November for the Twenty-First Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee (PMSC) on Cricket.
Chair of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee, Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in his opening remarks, continued his advocacy to reinvigorate cricket in the Region. Dr Rowley stated that this Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee is being convened under the banner of reinvigoration and provides an opportunity to deliberate on a game that is not just a sport but also a unifying emblem of identity for the Region.
“As Chair of this Sub-Committee, I recognise this moment as an inflection point where tradition meets transformation. Cricket, the soul of our Caribbean culture, holds vast potential, not only to captivate hearts, but also to inspire a new generation and unlock fresh avenues for economic growth across the CARICOM Region”, stated Dr Rowley.
The Chair emphasised that the meeting aligned perfectly with CARICOM Leaders’ broader regional goals of sustainable development, innovation, and integration. “Together, let us reimagine cricket as a driver of unity and prosperity, leveraging its storied legacy to engage youth, foster regional pride”, he asserted.
New Avenues for Revenue
Dr Rowley underscored that the sport presents new avenues for revenue in the Region: “Today, Cricket is a multi-billion-dollar commercial enterprise in which we are to be engaged if we are not already engaged. I encourage us to remain focused to ensure that we can propose strong, workable recommendations to take this issue forward”.
The Meeting focused on the key issues and recommendations emanating from the CARICOM Regional Cricket Conference held in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2024, a discussion on the strategic approach to cricket in the West Indies to ensure the viability of the game and ways to ensure the West Indies is able to benefit from international linkages.
One of the Meeting’s highlights was a presentation by Sir Clive Lloyd, OCC, and H.E. Deryck Murray, on the way forward for West Indies Cricket.
Other CARICOM Heads who were present and participated in the robust discussion were Prime Minister of Grenada and CARICOM Chair, Hon. Dickon Mitchell; Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Browne; Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley SC; President of Guyana, H.E. Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali; and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Philip J. Pierre. St Vincent and the Grenadines was represented by the Hon. Frederick Stephenson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Jamaica, by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Mr Denzil Thorpe; and Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Ms. Naeemah Hazelle represented St Kitts and Nevis. Dr Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies (CWI); elite cricketers and senior officials were also in attendance.
