Reds Perreira has high praise for outgoing CEO of Cricket West Indies

ricket West Indies (CWI) this weekend announced that Johnny Grave will be concluding his tenure as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a position he has held since February 2017, at the end of October 2024.

CWI, in a brief release, extended gratitude for the Englishman’s “dedicated service and leadership throughout his term.”

Veteran commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira says that after close to a decade with the regional organisation, Grave will have made the decision to call time after having enjoyed a successful period in the job. In particular, Reds noted Grave’s recent vocal advocacy.

“I think he’s had a long run as CEO in the Caribbean,” Reds offered to Barbados TODAY. “On behalf of the West Indies board he has overseen many negotiations, he’s overseen many tours. He has been negotiating on behalf of the West Indies.

Of late, he’s been talking about the poor financial cake and the small amount of money the West Indies have been getting from the ICC.

“But I think he probably feels that he’s going to look down where he wants to maybe have his final job, whether it’s an English county, where his children can be educated. And I suppose it’s that time where he feels that he’s exhausted all his energy. He’s fulfilled, in his opinion, all what he could do for the West Indies Cricket Board, and it’s time to move on.”

Former West Indies Dinanath Ramnarine agrees that Grave’s loss will be significant. Having previously served as president and CEO of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), Ramnarine took to social media to hail Grave as the best executive officer CWI has had.

“His expertise in the sports business industry, coupled with his extensive experience, made him an invaluable asset to the organisation,” Ramnarine contended. “Replacing someone of his calibre will be an incredibly challenging task, as the person who follows in his footsteps will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill.”

CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow acknowledged the important role that Grave played, especially during the pandemic. The outgoing CEO also oversaw the hosting of three ICC events – the Women’s World T20 in 2018, the Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in 2022, and the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“Appreciably, the organisation has taken many positive strides during his tenure,” Shallow affirmed. “A standout achievement is the acquisition and full ownership of the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), which is now our headquarters and home to our Men’s and Women’s Academies. On behalf of the Board and all at CWI, I express heartfelt thanks to him for the unwavering commitment and leadership over the past several years.”

Perreira, though, told Barbados TODAY that the new CEO must build on the work started by Grave, especially in the area of addressing the financial imbalance in the global game, a theme that was also taken up in recent weeks by former West Indies captain, Sir Clive Lloyd.

Additionally, Perreira insists that the incoming chief executive must look at sponsorship for the regional first class season as one of his or her top priorities. This, along with getting overseas teams to take part in regional cricket, will allow for the elevation of the game, he said. But the veteran analyst also feels that with Grave having grown in the job, it is vital that CWI bring in a replacement who is already operating at a high level.

Whether there’s someone earmarked, whether there’s someone within the regional market, I do not know,” he admitted. “But it might be best for the West Indies board to advertise the post, to try and get the best available person with the kind of experience, and the kind of person who will follow up what Grave has been working on, what the West Indies board has has been working on in terms of negotiations, in terms of the ICC share of the cake, which is adequate right now. So it’s not just a new man coming in and starting all over again, he’s got to hit the road running.”

Calling the job of West Indies CEO “a special job,” Perriera felt that the one sore point from Grave’s tenure was the lack of returns from the West Indies tour of England during the pandemic. The fact that the West Indies agreed to that tour, he argued, led to the game’s full return from very difficult times.

Notwithstanding that gesture by the regional board, Perreira said that the West Indies did not see any additional outcomes, which to his mind might have included an England A team tour to the West Indies, or some such degree of reciprocity.

For his part, Grave thanked the staff of CWI and the West Indies players for their support over the years, saying it was the “right time” to turn in his papers.

“My family and I have loved living in Antigua and will leave with many special memories having watched our young children grow up here,” he reminisced. “I have put everything into this role, and now is the right time for someone new with fresh energy to lead the organisation and continue this important work and build on the strong foundations that are now in place.”

(TF)