Cricket needs a new direction and thrust

THE INSTALLATION OF a new executive on Saturday, May 9, 2026, to administer the affairs of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGCA) Inc. must come as a relief to players and other stakeholders.

That act of emancipation came at the President’s Suite of the Arnos Vale Playing Field, when the organisation hosted its protracted Annual Elective General Meeting.

Charged with turning the tide of the sport are mainly tried and tested persons, who have had experience in various capacities of cricket and who are fully cognisant of the position of the SVGCA Inc.

Placed in the hot seat are President Roland Wilkinson, First Vice President Samantha Lynch, Second Vice President Desron Maloney, with the Secretary being Javid Wilson.

The treasurer is Rawdon Bentick and Assistant Secretary Treasurer Cleton Burnett.

Four Committee Members -Steadroy Deane, Kadier Nedd, Keron Cottoy and Elron Lewis complete the executive. The new executive though, whilst enthused with their respective portfolios, must be prepared to turn their sleeves up and begin the repair work from their moment of election.

Hopefully, they would have already mentally and physically turned on to the magnitude of the unpacking before them.

They first and foremost have to regain the trust of the cricket fraternity, as the sport has descended to an all-time low in the past two to three years, under the tenure of the outgoing Dougal James led executive.

Hence,Wilkinson and company have a mountain to climb as the image of the sport has been damaged beyond recognition. Revitalising cricket here in St Vincent and the Grenadines is indeed a herculean task and cannot be achieved

only with a new executive, it demands commitment, policies, government support as well as a new buy in from the corporate sector.

Urgently though,Wilkinson has to activate a youth development programme so that young prospective cricketers would be nurtured at an early age to love the sport of cricket.

Administratively, the new executive has to learn from their predecessors as the sport cannot be governed as the preserve of an all-inclusive set of friends, with a lodge type mentality.

Neither should Wilkinson allow his fellow executive members to diminish the operations of the organisation, but rather formulate checks and balances that promote good governance practices.

Needed too, are for the affiliates who voted the new grouping of men and woman, that they be vigilant in their stewardship.

In short, cricket is currently batting on a sticky wicket with rain clouds hovering overhead. Such a situation requires an allround attack, with pace and spin from both ends, as the Wilkinson led team charts a new direction and seek to get past the vagaries that have plagued the SVGCA Inc’s administrative performance along with results on the field of play.

Faced with a deficit, it is all to play for, otherwise the new personnel in charge can be in the field for another two years with nothing to show.