The United States emergence in the cricketing world is the biggest threat to the survival of West Indies Cricket. That is the view of Cricket West Indies {CWI} Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring. Mr. Dehring was speaking on the Banter on Vybe Radio.
The Cricket West Indies CEO sighted the immense resources of large cricketing entities as the key factor which highlights the disadvantage that regional cricket faces. He utilized Broward County in Florida as an example, which he is familiar with, boasting a budget larger than that of some Caribbean islands. He also sighted critical data and vital statistical analysis as areas of utmost importance in addressing the challenges ahead.
While the CWI Chief Executive Officer understood the many challenges facing regional cricket, he was confident that the region was laden with talent. Dehring lauded St. Lucia for establishing The Sport Academy and the High Performance Center {HPC}, a feature he believes must be adopted throughout the region if we want to compete at the highest level.
The Caribbean suffers from blooding athletes too late, and the CEO believes West Indies cricket is no exception. The nature of the pipeline that has become commonplace on the international stage is exactly what we must try to emulate. It means the region has to retool the existing setup even with limited resources, according to Dehring.
Mr. Dehring identified Cricket as the most professional sport in the region which he says should demand the attention of the people and governments of the region.