GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Veteran Cricket West Indies (CWI) director, Anand Sanasie, has identified three key areas which will form the “central pillars” of his upcoming campaign against incumbent Ricky Skerritt for the CWI presidency.

In a statement formally announcing his candidacy this week ahead of the elections scheduled for March 28, Sanasie pointed to enhancing the fortunes of the West Indies side, strengthening the domestic game and the transformation of grass roots cricket as crucial to his hopes of securing the votes necessary to topple Skerritt.

Additionally, Sanasie also listed the development of women’s cricket, a closer collaboration and power-sharing with territorial boards and an expansion thrust into the North American market, as other areas critical to his vision for West Indies cricket.

“First, we recognise that the performance of the West Indies Team serves as a barometer for the state of West Indies Cricket and as the only constant in the regional psyche,” said Sanasie, who will be accompanied by Barbadian Calvin Hope as his vice-presidential running mate.

“Therefore, the West Indies Team Performance is one central pillar.”

He continued: “Secondly, regional cricket is what supplies and fortifies the West Indies Team. The territorial boards manage the production line of elite players for the West Indies teams.

“We believe that regional cricket requires greater investment from the CWI level and will implement a system of greater (i) sponsorship share and (ii) larger annual subvention to each territorial board.

“Thirdly, regional cricket and ultimately the West Indies Team is only as strong as our grassroots cricket programmes. We believe that there needs to be renewed focus, a revitalisation and a revolution in grass roots and school cricket all across the Caribbean.”

Sanasie said he was also concerned about the “systematic centralisation of power and decision-making, and the ostracisation and miniaturisation of the territorial boards” over the past two years.

Further he contended there needed to be a “renewed and heavier emphasis on the development of women’s cricket”, with a “comprehensive strategic measurable programme” implemented to ensure West Indies became one of the world’s elite sides.

Also of major importance, Sanasie said, was the ability of CWI to capitalise on the lucrative existing opportunities in North America, and utilising them “as a critical plank of augmenting and guaranteeing financial stability.”

If successful in the upcoming elections, Sanasie said he and Hope would form a closer relationship with USA Cricket to ensure CWI took advantage of those opportunities.

A CWI director and current secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Sanasie said he had dedicated himself to the success of West Indies cricket and had served “without much fanfare or pursuit of publicity of the limelight.”

And having been urged by fellow directors and stakeholders to make a bid for the CWI presidency, Sanasie said the time had arrived for “professional, visionary and astute policy making” in leadership and a departure from the politics of the past.

“It is now time for the executive leadership and governance of Cricket West Indies to transition from raw political horse trading and a centralised hoarding of power to professional, visionary and astute policy making based on equity, transparency, fairness and demonstrable competence,” argued Sanasie.

“This is what Calvin and I bring to the table and what we humbly offer to the people of the region.

“We believe that our record and reputation of service and dedication to West Indies Cricket from the grass roots to the boardroom will stand us in good stead and we look forward to the support of the territorial boards.”

Skerritt, and running mate Dr Kishore Shallow, defeated three-term incumbent Dave Cameron and Emmanuel Nathan, in the last CWI elections staged in 2018.