Mitchell optimistic about improved relations in Windies cricket

The Chairman of the West Indies Cricket Sub-Committee promoting stakeholder engagement says he has seen improvements in the relationship between players and administrators in the sport.

Sharing his thoughts on the state of the modern game in an interview with Barbados TODAY on the heels of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by the West Indies and won by India, Dr Keith Mitchell said he believes “the conditions are better”.

“Things are improving,” said the former Grenada prime minister. “I don’t see the level of problems that existed between the administrators. I think there is a better atmosphere of relationships in a general sense.”

Mitchell, a former Grenada national cricket captain, emphasised the need to foster strong relationships among all cricket stakeholders, including the Cricket West Indies board, government, players, and the business sector, to nurture an environment conducive for the sport’s growth.

“I wanted to see the board have a better relationship with the stakeholders. And I am working with the West Indies Cricket Board. They asked me to chair a committee of stakeholders — government, players, the board, business, and so on — for the whole Caribbean,” he noted.

Mitchell highlighted the region’s challenge in balancing different formats of cricket, notably losing top talent to lucrative T20 franchise leagues worldwide.

“The competition between T20 cricket, 50-over cricket, and Test cricket—it’s obvious that we are coming to terms with how to manage ourselves. We are losing a lot of talented players to a lot of franchise games around the world. And that we understand because the financial reward is extremely important for the players,” he said, while calling for a more robust support system for players to retain talent within the Caribbean.

“In the past, I don’t think we have protected and secured the interests of players’ futures sufficiently enough. So you can’t blame them when they are out there trying to secure their future, knowing the lifespan of playing in West Indies cricket is not too long.”

He also shared his excitement over the electrifying ICC T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa.

“It was an extremely good match, especially in the sense that the semi-finals were not much competition. So I think the finals have helped to give the kind of level of cricket that we expect in a match of this nature,” he commented. Despite his desire to see the West Indies in the final, Mitchell praised the spirit of the game and expressed a fondness for Afghanistan’s tenacity in the tournament.

His sentiments were shared by the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who also commended Barbados for hosting a world-class event.

“First of all, I’m very proud of the people and Government of Barbados for putting on a spectacular show, a world-class event. I felt very, very proud as a citizen to see that quality,” he said.

Analysing the match, Sir Hilary praised the depth and resilience of the Indian team while noting South Africa’s faltering under pressure.

“Two good teams, I thought; two very good teams. I thought South Africa was always a little brittle, and India had more depth and resilience. So the team with the most resilience won. South Africa had it in their hands at one point, and they appeared, as I said, a little brittle. I thought they gave it away. But having said that, India dug deep,” he observed.

He also lauded Indian captain Virat Kohli for his match-winning performance, highlighting his comeback after a prolonged slump.

“I was very proud of Kohli. After a long drought, I knew a great player would always rise, and I said today was going to be his day, and he brought home his team. Very proud of it,” Sir Hilary noted.

However, the UWI vice-chancellor stressed the need for West Indies cricket to aspire to the standards set by India.

“First of all, I would like to see West Indies cricket now emulate Indian cricket. Indian cricket emulated West Indies cricket, and now they’re playing the kind of cricket that we used to play,” he contended.

Urging a return to the core values of resilience, skill, and focus that once defined West Indies cricket, Sir Hilary added: “We need to get back to that quality cricket—resilience, skills, dedication, and focus.”