In a scathing critique of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and major cricketing nations, Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Chief Executive Officer, Johnny Grave has accused the global cricketing body of deliberately obstructing the resurgence of West Indies cricket by maintaining an unjust economic model.
Grave’s outburst follows the West Indies’ impressive performance in their recent tour of Australia where the West Indies secured a Test series draw against Australia, marking their first Test victory on Australian soil in 27 years.
Grave expressed his frustration in a podcast with Daniel Gallan. One of his primary grievances is with the ICC’s revenue share model, which he deems flawed. Grave alleged that West Indies’ share of the revenue has dwindled from seven to five percent under the current model, despite headlines suggesting an increase in financial support.
Grave questioned the cricketing community’s commitment to fairness, stating, “If we all just are looking after ourselves then are we really acting as a community? Are we putting the best product on the field?”
It is not the first time that Grave has criticised the ICC. In January, he had raised concerns about the economic disparity, claiming that the West Indies made no money from the men’s and women’s tours of Australia, with most of revenue going to Cricket Australia.
Grave noted that Cricket West Indies had spent over USD$2 million sending teams to Australia in the last four months, and that whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, the West Indies have seen zero dollars back.
