Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow has moved to shed light on the decision of long-serving West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite to officially step down from the role, opening a new chapter for the regional side as the team prepares for the start of the ICC World Test Championship cycle against Australia this summer.
Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe revealed that CWI will name an immediate successor as they will need more time to select a suitable candidate.
In a press conference on Monday, Dr. Shallow revealed that Brathwaite first indicated his intention to step down during the recent tour of Pakistan. President Dr Shallow shared that Brathwaite had initially planned to make the announcement before the second Test but was advised to wait for a more appropriate time.
“Kraigg is a phenomenal individual, an exemplary captain and ian nspirational leader,” said Dr. Shallow. “He told me he wanted to give more to the team by focusing solely on his batting. I convinced him to postpone the announcement until the timing was better for him, the organization, and the new Test coach.”
Brathwaite went on to lead the team to a historic victory in the final Test against Pakistan—West Indies’ first Test win in that country in over two decades. “I want to thank Kraigg profoundly for being the true leader that he is,” Shallow said. “He is fully committed to continuing as a player and has assured me he has a few more years left in his tank.”
Brathwaite is currently just two Tests shy of 100 appearances. Shallow added, “I suspect the selectors may give him that chance. I’m not twisting any arms, but whenever he gets to that milestone, CWI will be right there celebrating with him.”
In related governance developments, Dr. Shallow also announced that CWI has moved forward with recommendations from the Wehby Report to restructure its board committees. As part of these reforms, the total number of committees has been reduced by four.
Key among the changes is the merging of the Finance and Commercial Committees into a single body. “We found it difficult to optimize resources when finance and commercial were discussed in isolation,” Dr. Shallow explained.
Additionally, the Officiating and Venues Committee has been incorporated into the broader Cricket Committee, chaired by Director Enoch Lewis. “We continue to identify areas to strengthen our governance and improve efficiency,” Shallow noted.
Dr. Shallow also confirmed the reappointment of all four independent directors, including Deborah Coyle Patton, Diane Campbell, and Louise Victor Frederick, praising their contributions and the diversity of perspectives they bring to the board.
The President concluded his comments with an assurance that CWI’s annual report and audited financial statements would soon be published online, offering full transparency on the organization’s performance and governance over the past 12 months. Sportsmax
