Cricket West Indies secures new media rights agreements for Pakistan, MENA, and SEA markets

By Sports Desk October 16, 2024

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced new media rights agreements that will extend the reach of West Indies cricket across Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South-East Asia (SEA) regions. These strategic partnerships will ensure exclusive broadcast and digital access for millions of fans, covering upcoming international fixtures and regional tournaments.

CWI has entered into a partnership with Tapmad for the Pakistan market, granting exclusive digital rights. Alongside this, Ten Sports will sublicense the linear TV rights, ensuring extensive coverage of West Indies home internationals, including Pakistan’s tours of the Caribbean in 2025 for T20Is and ODIs, and in 2026 for Test matches.

In the MENA region, CWI has secured an agreement with Cricbuzz, owned by Times Internet, to broadcast West Indies cricket matches via CricbuzzTV channels. This deal will bring the excitement of West Indies cricket to one of the sport’s most vibrant markets, while also providing coverage in South-East Asia, where cricket enjoys a growing fan base. Cricbuzz will offer live streaming and coverage of all West Indies international and regional games to fans in these regions.

CWI’s Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave expressed his excitement over the new deals, emphasizing their importance in expanding West Indies cricket’s global presence. "These new media rights agreements for Pakistan, MENA, and SEA are a vital step in ensuring that West Indies cricket continues to grow its global fan base," Grave said. "By partnering with Tapmad and Cricbuzz, we are securing broad coverage across critical markets, allowing fans in these regions to access top-tier cricket content on both linear and digital channels. Our goal is to make West Indies cricket more accessible to the world, striving to maximize and balance reach and revenue, and these deals are another significant step in that strategic direction."

The agreements, brokered by CWI’s media consultants Pitch International, reflect CWI’s commitment to enhancing the global visibility of West Indies cricket. These partnerships not only bolster fan engagement across key markets but also strengthen the global appeal of the West Indies cricket brand.

Fans across Pakistan, MENA, and South-East Asia can now look forward to uninterrupted access to all West Indies home internationals and regional tournaments, as CWI continues to grow its international footprint and bring its electrifying style of cricket to new audiences worldwide.

 

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    The Guyana Cricket Board and Barbados Cricket Association issued a joint statement on Friday explaining their absence from the critical Cricket West Indies governance vote scheduled for earlier in the day.

    The meeting, announced on November 13, 2024, was expected to focus on structural adjustments to CWI’s governance, including term limits for the President and Vice President, enhanced accountability measures, and other steps to modernize the organization’s framework.

    The meeting, convened to deliberate on reforms recommended in the Wehby Report, required the presence of all Full Member shareholders to proceed.

    Commissioned in 2019, the Wehby Report outlines a roadmap to reform CWI’s governance by promoting transparency, accountability, and alignment with global best practices. Key recommendations include restructuring the Board of Directors, modernizing operations, and enhancing stakeholder engagement.

    While the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), and Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) were present, Guyana formally indicated its non-attendance, and Barbados did not provide a response.

    This marks the second instance of both entities abstaining from such meetings, the first occurring in 2021.

    Both the GCB and BCA issued a joint statement on Friday clarifying their decision to not attend the meeting.

    “There are and were no convincing reasons for BCA and GCB to support the sought changes/amendments to the Articles of the existing Memorandum & Articles of Association. Also, the proposed changes/amendments lack clarity in the form as presented and, for that matter, how they will benefit the Company in consideration of its multiple stakeholder base,” the statement read.

    Additionally, the statement outlines that the BCA submitted proposed changes to the structure on two separate occasions, with no response on either.

    “Previously, at the twenty-fifth CWI Annual Meeting of Members, held on 23rd March 2024, the BCA proposal was to stop the infighting through electioneering at CWI and said proposal was supported by GCB.”

    “The current system for electing a President and Vice President provides for horse-trading and nepotism. The CWI proposed amendments do not include the BCA/GCB proposal as an option for members to discuss or vote on. CWI continues to ignore the voices of its shareholder reps and Full Members.”

    The statement went on to outline that both territorial boards rejected the proposals of the Wehby Report on the basis that “it seeks to relinquish power from the territorial boards and is further seen given recent decisions at CWI.”

    Proposals in the Wehby Report include increasing the fixed term for the President and Vice-President from two to three years while limiting each to two terms and territorial boards having one director each instead of two.

    There would also be three additional directors coming from a nomination process out of the six territorial representatives. The report also suggests that two of those directors be women.

    “In recent years, the Secretariat of the Company has on occasions, either forgot or ignored or failed to acknowledge the historical status of and the contribution made by its Full Members. Without want of curtailing zeal beyond boundaries, such habitual culture must reverse in the interest of progress,” the statement concluded.

     

     

     

     

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  • Barbados and Guyana’s absence derails critical CWI governance vote Barbados and Guyana’s absence derails critical CWI governance vote

    Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been forced to postpone a pivotal vote on governance reform after representatives from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) failed to attend the meeting, leaving the body without a quorum.

    The meeting, convened to deliberate on reforms recommended in the Wehby Report, required the presence of all Full Member shareholders to proceed. While the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), and Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) were present, Guyana formally indicated its non-attendance, and Barbados did not provide a response. This marks the second instance of both entities abstaining from such meetings, the first occurring in 2021.

    CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow expressed disappointment at the absence of two critical stakeholders at such a decisive moment for the future of West Indies cricket:
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    The meeting, announced on November 13, 2024, was expected to focus on structural adjustments to CWI’s governance, including term limits for the President and Vice President, enhanced accountability measures, and other steps to modernize the organization’s framework.

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    Despite progress on some fronts, the implementation of these reforms has faced delays, exacerbated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed changes are widely regarded as essential to securing the long-term viability of cricket in the Caribbean.

    Dr. Shallow emphasized the critical importance of the reforms: "This meeting was not just about structural changes; it was about safeguarding the future of cricket in the Caribbean. Change is never easy, but it is absolutely necessary. We must demonstrate to the cricketing world and our stakeholders that we are committed to improving and evolving as an organization."

    CWI will now seek written responses from its members on the proposed resolutions. While this setback complicates the process, President Shallow reaffirmed CWI’s commitment to the reform agenda:
    "The responsibility to lead and inspire rests with all of us. While today’s outcome is a setback, it will not deter us from our mission to transform West Indies cricket. I encourage all stakeholders to prioritize the greater good of the game and come together to ensure we continue to build an organization that every Caribbean citizen can be proud of."

    CWI’s leadership remains committed to implementing the Wehby Report recommendations and is exploring alternative pathways to ensure these essential reforms move forward. The absence of Guyana and Barbados highlights the challenges of fostering unity within the organization but also underscores the urgency of achieving consensus for the betterment of West Indies cricket.

     

     

     

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