Where has all the chatter about transparency in West Indies cricket gone? What has become of the dictum that West Indies cricket belongs to the people and therefore should not be the personal plaything of any individual or group of individuals? Perhaps Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Ricky Skerritt or the previously vocal Prime Ministers of Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines could clear their throats once again.
The recent revelations of an audit report commissioned by the Skerritt-led CWI board and furnished by Parnell Kerr Foster (PKF) and which cast aspersions on the financial management of Skerritt’s predecessor, Dave Cameron, said as much about Mr Skerritt and his board, as it sought to assert about Mr Cameron. We hold no brief for other gentleman, nor intend to delve into any specific financial management accusation, innuendo, slur, suggestion or pointed statement. However, there appears to be more to this situation than meets the naked eye. There is an odour to it.
The confidential audit report which Mr Skerritt publicly stated was an internal document meant for the consideration of the CWI board only, mysteriously found its way into the hands of former West Indies fast-bowling legend-turned commentator Michael Holding. Logic would suggest that the proverbial truck that dropped it into Mr Holding’s lap would at some stage have had to travel between the CWI board members and PKF, and possibly, but not necessarily, a printer. Mr Holding is not employed by CWI or PKF, and the leak that reached him could not have had many burst outlets through which to drip. Indeed, Mr Skerritt might have unwittingly narrowed those outlets by stressing the confidentiality arrangement between CWI and PKF. But leaks are often the lifeblood of investigative reporting and we do not seek to discourage those prone to turning on taps. However, the question is: Why now? Mr Skerritt has served West Indies cricket before in an administrative capacity. Compared to other cricket boards in some of the major nations, CWI’s finances have been a source of embarrassment for many years with more valleys than mountains. COVID-19 has not helped. If CWI were now interested in correcting financial practices, loopholes, administrative shortcomings or whatever one might wish to call them, are we to believe that such only existed between March 2013 and March 2019 during Mr Cameron’s tenure? If it took PKF to unearth some of these alleged infelicities, were the other directors, board officials, accounting personnel all snoring and dribbling at the wheel?
The most egregious aspect of this scenario, however, is the unfortunate manner in which CWI has treated its former president with respect to this would be “confidential” report and his desire to be given a copy of the report that places aspects of his tenure in a questionable light. This was a statement made by Mr Skerritt last month following the leak of the “confidential” report. “Since the adoption of the PKF report six months ago, numerous references to the existence of the report have been made in media statements and interviews by the CWI CEO, Vice President, and myself. I can confidently assure you that at no time was there any decision taken by the Board or anyone associated with CWI to “hide”, “conceal”, “withhold” or “hold-back” the PKF report. However, in light of an apparent recent access to some of its contents by the media, the CWI Board will now have to contemplate whether it may be appropriate at this time for the report to be shared publicly. . . I want to assure all stakeholders of West Indies cricket that whether the PKF report is made public or not, CWI will not be distracted from correcting, and learning from, any identifiable missteps or shortcomings of the past. I am determined as the President of this Board, to ensure that CWI conducts its business with integrity, accountability, and transparency and without fear or favour, affection, or ill-will.”
These were pretty words strung together and befitting someone with a political background – “accountability”, “integrity”, “transparency”, et al. Mr Skerritt never used the term “justice” or “fairness” or “due process”. But one would have thought that if an audited report of an organization makes allegations about any member of staff, far less the leader of the organization, that the individual or individuals were entitled to be given an opportunity to defend himself or themselves and to respond to those allegations. But Mr Skerritt makes a further hash of his perfunctory description of how CWI conducts its business by admitting the report was in the board’s possession for at least six months. Six months! And no opportunity afforded Mr Cameron to answer to the damning report. But Mr Skerritt would seek to convince sane West Indians that there was no attempt by CWI to “hide”, “conceal”, “withhold” or “hold-back” the PKF report. Perhaps, the fact that Michael Holding received a copy from some unknown source would suggest that Mr Skerritt’s assertion was accurate.
And in all of this, regional politicians – with the possible exception of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Dr Ralph Gonsalves – who have previously stressed that West Indies cricket belongs to the people, have generally maintained their silence on the treatment meted out to Mr Cameron by CWI. Inasmuch as Mr Cameron’s leadership of CWI came to an end, Mr Skerritt and his board should be reminded that much could change in two years. The advice – do the right thing!
