Former St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has launched a sharp critique of Cricket West Indies, accusing the organization of arrogance, structural imbalance, and straying from its historic mandate to serve Caribbean cricket.
Speaking on the Barbados-based radio programme Mason and Guest, Gonsalves echoed and intensified recent concerns raised by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who signaled that Barbados may take a more independent approach to cricket development following the omission of Kensington Oval from the 2026 international schedule.
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Under the current itinerary, Barbados will not host any matches in a packed home series featuring Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan. The fixtures are instead set to be staged across Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, a decision that has sparked frustration among regional stakeholders given Kensington Oval’s historic status in world cricket.
Gonsalves said the exclusion of Barbados was unjustifiable, particularly given the scale of the tour. “You can’t have three teams coming to the Caribbean and Barbados doesn’t get a game,” he said, stressing that the decision undermines the spirit of regional inclusion in West Indies cricket.
His remarks add political weight to growing criticism of Cricket West Indies’ scheduling and governance structure, which has come under renewed scrutiny in recent months. Gonsalves also raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving CWI president Kishore Shallow, arguing that holding simultaneous political and sporting leadership roles raises questions about governance integrity.
However, his strongest criticism was directed at the institution itself. Gonsalves described Cricket West Indies as a body that operates with excessive autonomy while being disconnected from the public it represents. He argued that the organization derives its authority primarily through the International Cricket Council, rather than direct accountability to Caribbean citizens and stakeholders.
He went further, characterizing CWI as a “neocolonial entity” that has drifted away from what he described as the historic purpose of West Indies cricket, a unifying regional institution built on shared identity and sporting excellence. According to Gonsalves, this disconnect has contributed to what he sees as a broader governance failure within Caribbean cricket administration.
The remarks come amid increasing debate across the region over match allocations, revenue distribution, and the future direction of West Indies cricket, with several leaders calling for greater transparency and a reassessment of how fixtures and opportunities are distributed among member territories.
