Cricket West Indies

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is the group that controls cricket in the West Indies. The West Indies includes more than a dozen English-speaking Caribbean countries and areas that were once part of the British West Indies. CWI was created in the early 1920s as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control, but it changed its name several times. In May 2017, it became known as Cricket West Indies.

CWI has been a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1926. It organizes the West Indies cricket team and West Indies A cricket team. CWI sets up international matches and runs local cricket competitions such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the Regional Super50. It also helped start popular tournaments like the Caribbean Premier League.

The current president of CWI is Dr Kishore Shallow, and Chris Dehring is the chief executive officer. Since 2005, the West Indies Women's Cricket Federation has been part of CWI, helping to grow women's cricket in the region. CWI also works to support cricket in the Americas through the ICC's programs.

History

In the late 1800s, there was no main group to help organize cricket matches in the West Indies. Cricketers wanted a special group to manage games and tours. With help from a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, leaders from different areas got together. They formed the West Indies Cricket Board of Control in 1927. This group helped manage cricket in the region and made sure teams could travel and play together. Over time, the group changed its name and grew to include more areas.

Member associations

Cricket West Indies has many member associations across the Caribbean. Some of the main ones are:

• Barbados Cricket Association (BCA)
• Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)
• Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA)
• Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB)

The Leeward Islands Cricket Association includes associations from smaller islands such as Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts, St Maarten, and the United States Virgin Islands.

The Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control includes associations from Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Domestic competitions

The West Indies has several important cricket competitions for men and women.

For men, there is the Regional Four Day Competition, a first-class competition, and the Regional Super50, a one-day competition. There is also the Caribbean Premier League, a Twenty20 competition.

For women, the main competitions are the Women's Super50 Cup and the Twenty20 Blaze. There are also events for younger players.

In the Caribbean Premier League, teams represent different areas of the West Indies:

• Royals – representing Barbados
• Amazon Warriors – representing Guyana
• Tallawahs – representing Jamaica
• Patriots – representing St. Kitts and Nevis, and the rest of the Leeward Islands
• Kings – representing St. Lucia and the rest of the Windward Islands
• Knight Riders – representing Trinidad and Tobago

Principals of the West Indies Cricket Board

The West Indies Cricket Board has had many leaders over the years. Some of the presidents of the board for men's cricket include Karl Nunes, Jeffrey Stollmeyer, Allan Rae, Sir Clyde Walcott, Wes Hall, Teddy Griffith, Ken Gordon, Julian Hunte, Whycliffe (Dave) Cameron, Ricky Skerritt, and Dr. Kishore Shallow.

Important leaders who served as secretaries or chief executive officers include Stephen Camacho, Johnny Grave, and Chris Dehring.