Former Test captain, Sir Vivian Richards, has thrown his weight behind CARICOM’s efforts at governance reform in West Indies cricket.
The Antiguan, who never lost a Test series as skipper, said he believed the regional nation grouping’s intentions were genuine and were aimed at correcting some of the problems which had plagued the sport regionally.
“They are not in any way, in my opinion, looking to run the board or anything of that particular factor,” the 66-year-old told the Observer newspaper here.
“They’re just looking basically to address some of the problems which we have in terms of administration wise and things like that.
“We saw what happened in Guyana so no government [faction] should get involved and we see that at the highest level even with FIFA and so forth, so the same applies here to the governments in the region.”
CARICOM is challenging Cricket West Indies’ right, as a private entity, to manage the “public good” of West Indies cricket.
In fact, the body has endorsed the 2015 Governance Report which recommended the “the immediate dissolution” of CWI and the appointment of interim board “whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework.”
While CWI has resisted, CARICOM has continued to agitate for change, and only recently approached cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, to lay out its position.
The ICC, however, made it clear it would only agree to such a meeting if embattled CWI president Dave Cameron was present, a move Sir Viv has also backed.
“It’s good to talk, it’s better to negotiate than to fight so I think that if they can meet along that particular line and to address certain issues and problematic things we would have had in terms of [administration] and the folks who are not happy with the way it is being run. You never know, talking could bring some [benefits],” Sir Viv contended.
“And as I said, it would be of utter importance that every one of the parties meet because there is no way you can have one without the other and discuss all the issues face to face.”
Chairman of CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial sub-committee on cricket, St Vincent and the Grenadines leader Dr Ralph Gonsalves, said recently any meeting including Cameron would be welcomed.
And with the ICC suggesting a November meeting, Gonsalves said in the meantime CARICOM would press ahead with laying the legislative groundwork for governance reform.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) have announced their home schedule for the 2018-19 season that will see tours by Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, with the focus on One-day Internationals ahead of the World Cup next year.
South Africa will also host a total of five Tests, 13 One-day Internationals and nine Twenty20 Internationals against these three nations.
Pakistan will feature in the marquee Boxing Day and New Year Tests as they tour South Africa for the first time since 2013.
The first Test will be played in Centurion from Dec 26-30, before matches in Cape Town (Jan 3-7) and Johannesburg (Jan 11-15). The sides will also clash in five One-day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals that will follow the Test series.
There will be a just a week’s break before the end of Pakistan’s tour and the arrival of Sri Lanka for Tests in Durban (Feb 13-17) and Port Elizabeth (Feb 21-25).
The sides will also be involved in a series of five One-day Internationals and three Twenty20 fixtures that will finish on March 24.
After the busiest home season in South African history in 2017-18, which included 10 Tests — one of which was the first day-night, four-day long format fixture — South Africa will have much less of a workload next summer. They will only play half the number of Tests but more than double in ODIs and T20s, as preparation for the 2019 World Cup.
That means the five major Test venues receive one match each, with a significant change in the hosting of the Boxing Day Test. Centurion’s SuperSport Park has been selected as the venue for the fixture, which will move inland after several years of being played on the coast.
Previously, the match has alternated between Durban and Port Elizabeth, with the rationale that holiday-makers from up-country would fill the stadiums but poor crowds over recent years have forced a change.
Though many Highveld residents flock to the sea over the festive season, a large number remain at home over that period and CSA have long spoken about trialling the Boxing Day match there.
South Africa’s summer will get underway with a limited overs tour by Zimbabwe that will include three One-day Internationals and three Twenty20 fixtures between Sept 30 and Oct 14 at some of South Africa’s smaller cricket venues.
CSA’s acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said that the scheduled 13 One-day Internationals during the season would enable the national team to fine tune their preparations for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.
“Following the outstanding Test match cricket played by the Proteas during the past season we can also look forward to plenty more world-class entertainment by our acknowledged stars during the five Test matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka,” Moroe said.
South Africa are ranked second in the world in Tests and ODIs, but only sixth in Twenty20 Internationals. Their next assignment is a tour of Sri Lanka that has matches in all three formats and starts in mid-July.

Fixtures: Zimbabwe in South Africa:
Sept 30: First ODI (Kimberley).
Oct 3: Second ODI (Bloemfontein).
Oct 6: Third ODI (Paarl)
Oct 9: First Twenty20 Int'l (East London).
Oct 12: Second T20 Int'l (Potchefstroom).
Oct 14: Third Twenty20 Int'l (Benoni).

Fixtures: Pakistan in South Africa:
Dec 19-21: SA Invitation XI (Benoni).
Dec 26-30: First Test (Centurion).
Jan 3-7: Second Test (Cape Town).
Jan 11-15: Third Test (Johannesburg)
Jan 19: First ODI (Port Elizabeth).
Jan 22: Second ODI (Durban).
Jan 25: Third ODI (Centurion).
Jan 27: Fourth ODI (Johannesburg).
Jan 30: Fifth ODI (Cape Town).
Feb 1: First T20 International (Cape Town).
Feb 3: Second T20 Int'l (Johannesburg).
Feb 6: Third Twenty20 Int'l (Centurion).

Fixtures: Sri Lanka in South Africa:
Feb 13-17: First Test (Durban).
Feb 21-25: Second Test (Port Elizabeth).
Feb 28: SA Invitation XI (Benoni).
March 3: First ODI (Johannesburg).
March 6: Second ODI (Centurion).
March 10: Third ODI (Durban).
March 13: Fourth ODI (Port Elizabeth).
March 16: Fifth ODI (Cape Town).
March 19: First Twenty20 Int'l (Cape Town).
March 22: Second Twenty20 Int'l (Centurion).
March 24: Third T20 Int'l (Johannesburg).

Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who struggled to find an Indian Premier League team, smashed the first century of this season on Thursday to prove his worth to Kings XI Punjab.
His spectacular unbeaten 104 – with 11 sixes and one four sprayed around the ground off 63 balls – helped the unfancied Punjab inflict the first defeat of the 2018 IPL on Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“A lot of people thought I'm too old. After this innings, I have nothing to prove,” the 38-year-old Gayle said after the 15-run win late Thursday.
Gayle was only selected in the third round of bidding for players by IPL teams for the 2018 season. Punjab signed him for just the $314,000 reserve price in the January auction.
He has made only two appearances so far but played a big innings each time.
The opener blasted 63 off 33 balls in his side's win over Chennai Super Kings on the weekend.
“I'm always determined, wherever I go in the world and whichever franchise I represent,” the destructive left-hander said.
Kings XI advisor Virender Sehwag was instrumental in the team's late bid for Gayle at the auction and he can now expect talks with the batsman.
“Sehwag said in an interview: 'If Chris wins you two games, we have our money's worth'. I need to have a chat with him about that!” Gayle commented.
It was Gayle's sixth IPL hundred and 21st in the 20-over format. Hyderabad had won their previous three games before the match. Punjab made 193 for three and then restricted Kane Williamson's Sunrisers to 178 for four.
The IPL is now in its 11th season with 60 matches over 51 days. There are eight million dollars in prizes at stake — including four million for the winning team. The final takes place on May 27 in Mumbai.

Seasoned wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin says he is still hopeful of making a Test comeback, especially after being retained in the West Indies Twenty20 squad for the Rest of the World XI fixture in London next month.
The 33-year-old returned to the international side for the first time in 17 months earlier this month, when he toured Pakistan for the historic three-match T20 series in Karachi.
His selection came against the backdrop of his heavy scoring in the first class season when he piled up 799 runs at an average of 61, including three centuries.
And following a decent series against Pakistan, the Trinidadian told the NewsDay he was now eyeing a return to the Test arena, which was his preferred format.
“My job was to go out and make a lot of runs and I think I did that. That is my part and hopefully the selectors can do their part now,” said Ramdin, who was axed from all formats in 2016.
“I’m just waiting on the call to play Test match or T20. Whichever one, I’m happy to go out and play. Test cricket is the ultimate. Once I get back there I would like to continue where I left off in Australia where I had some good performances.
“We have some good cricket coming up in the next few months and hopefully if I get my opportunity I will go out and do my best.”
West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan but Ramdin did his chances of re-selection little harm, with a stroke-filled unbeaten 42 in the final T20.
Part of a depleted unit then after several senior players opted out of the tour, Ramdin will now be a member of full-strength Windies squad with the likes of captain Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell all returning.
Ramdin said he was pleased with his selection and was looking forward to the May 31 fixture at Lord’s.
“It’s a good feeling still. I didn’t do badly in Pakistan. It’s always [a privilege] to represent West Indies at any level,” said Ramdin, a member of the T20 World Cup-winning squad two years ago.
“It’s an important game against the Rest of the World. It’s gonna be a nice experience playing against all the other guys around the world on one team and meeting up the T20 champs (West Indies).
“It’s gonna be an exciting game and I hope a lot of people come out and support.”
Ramdin has played 74 Tests, 139 One-Day Internationals and 61 T20Is.

English domestic cricket is set to get yet another format after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced plans for an eight-team, 100-ball competition in the pursuit of younger, family-oriented audiences.
Under the proposals, unanimously backed by the ECB board, each side would face 15 six-ball overs, culminating in a final 10 deliveries — 20 balls shorter than traditional Twenty20 matches.
The latest format, which follows experiments with 40-, 50- and 60-over competitions, as well as four-day county championship matches and T20 contests, was presented to chairmen and chief executives of the county clubs and the MCC on Thursday. It is due to launch in 2020.
“This is a fresh and exciting idea which will appeal to a younger audience and attract new fans to the game,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a statement.
“Throughout its development, we have shown leadership, provided challenge and followed a process. We will continue to do that as the concept evolves.
“Our game has a history of innovation and we have a duty to look for future growth for the health and sustainability of the whole game.”
The ECB members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new city-based competition last year, with matches to be played in a five-week window in the middle of the summer.
Southampton, Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham have been selected as venues for the tournament, with Lord’s and the Oval each playing host to a London-based team. The tournament will feature aligned competitions for both men’s and women’s teams sharing a common format, brands and team identities.

Teams Abbreviations:
Chennai Super Kings: CSK
Sunrisers Hyderabad: SH
Kings XI Punjab: KXIP
Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR
Mumbai Indians: MI
Delhi Daredevils: DD
Royal Challengers Bangalore: RCB
Rajasthan Royals: RR

Bangladesh axed six players from national contracts after a year of poor performances with players who escaped the chop being denied a pay rise, an official said Thursday.
Opening batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes were among the six to miss out on a contract as Bangladesh cricket warned players to shape up, selector Habibul Bashar said.
Bangladesh Cricket Board last Wednesday decided to retain just 10 players on contract, with three others to be added at a later time.
“For contracts, we mostly preferred players who would perform regularly over the next one year,” Bashar told AFP. “Some players have lost their regular spot in the team. They needed to be sent a message. Getting dropped does not mean the door is closed for them. Everyone will get a fair chance in future.”
Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam Rabbi were the four others whose contracts were not renewed. Sabbir was already excluded from a contract on disciplinary grounds.
Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mominul Haque, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam and Mehedi Hasan were the 10 players awarded contracts.
BCB President Nazmul Hassan told reporters that contracted players would not be given a pay rise this year.
The top remunerated players – Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mortaza – are paid 420,000 taka ($5,121) per month from the board.
The board also said it would review contracts for around 80 first-class players.
Bangladesh lost Test series against New Zealand, India and South Africa in 2017, and just managed to scrape a draw against Sri Lanka and Australia.
Their limited-overs side made the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK but were drubbed in all but four of their 14 one-day international matches. Bangladesh won just one of seven Twenty20 internationals over the same year.

England batsman Alastair Cook says he understands the proposed 100-ball competition but that Test and first-class cricket should be "protected".
The England and Wales Cricket Board wants to introduce the format into its new city-based tournament from 2020.
"There has to be a place for five-day or four-day cricket," former England captain Cook, 33, told BBC Sport.
"The difference, for me, is the satisfaction of a long game compared to the thrill of a shorter game."
The concept could see innings consist of 15 traditional six-ball overs and a final 10-ball over, with the Telegraph reporting that up to three players could bowl the last over.
Speaking at a Chance to Shine event, Cook said: "There's a bit of caution with me. I still think you have to protect the traditional cricket.
"It's obvious to see how every tournament of that is thriving where Test cricket isn't thriving as it was, say 10 years, ago.
"At the moment, all the money is in the shorter formats of the game. There must be a way of combining the two and protecting Test cricket because of all that it stands for."
Cook has played 154 Tests, scored 12,028 runs, made 32 centuries - all England records - and captained the side in 59 Tests between 2010 and 2016.

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