SO much has flowed under the ‘bridge’ over the last three years that it is likely only those who follow the sport closely will readily recall the Wehby Report of August 2020 which recommended sweeping changes in the governance structure of West Indies cricket.

A task force led by Jamaican business leader, Senator Don Wehby followed up on other governance reports since the 1990s. The Caribbean Media Corporation lists the previous reports as the 1992 Governance Report, the 2007 Patterson Report, the Wilkins Report in 2012, and the 2015 Barriteau Report.

It seems that Cricket West Indies (CWI), the overarching body for the regional game, has finally dragged itself to a stage where it is ready to take hard decisions based on the 2020 report.

Essentially, the Wehby Report urges that West Indies cricket be run in line with the demands of the modern world.

We hear that the leadership of CWI has described a recent special board meeting focused on the document as “an important step” towards implementation of proposed reforms.

To summarise very briefly, those proposals include:

* Comprehensive reform of the governance structure using principles of a modern, corporate practice inclusive of accountability and transparency;

* Membership of the CWI board of directors to reflect a wide cross section of skills and competencies;

* A smaller, balanced board of 12 (currently 18), with an eventual reduction to nine, including at least two women;

* Redefined roles for president and vice-president to be “board-specific and non-executive”;

* Establishment of a nominations committee to identify and evaluate potential directors and to nominate future directors and committee members; and

* Reduction in the CWI committee structure from 12 to five committees.

Very importantly, the governance changes should make it easier for West Indies cricket to be seen as a “public good” rather than a private fiefdom for a chosen few.

Improved transparency and accountability will, we expect, allow Caribbean governments and the private sector to feel more comfortable providing much-needed resource support for Cricket West Indies’ projects and programmes.

It’s no secret that a leading reason for the alarming decline of West Indies cricket over the last 27 years is the inability to properly fund regional cricket and its support structures in today’s increasingly professional, commercially driven global environment.

Dr Kishore Shallow, who was elected unopposed as CWI president earlier this year, is reported as saying:

“The Wehby Report offers us a road map to a more efficient, transparent, and accountable organisation. We are committed to delivering on this commitment, ensuring that CWI operates at its full potential and sets a standard for good governance in the cricketing world.

“The process of governance reform will be a collaborative and transparent one, with input from all parties invested in West Indies cricket’s future.

“The board meeting was an important step in gaining momentum in advancing our governance reform process.

“…We are committed to working hand in hand with our shareholders to shape the future of CWI.

“It is against this backdrop that we will be engaging the territorial boards in the coming weeks as their involvement in the process is critical.”

Long-suffering Caribbean cricket fans are waiting and watching.