ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — After serving as chief executive officer at Cricket Wicket Indies (CWI) for the past seven years, Johnny Grave will step down from his role at the end of October.

The announcement was made on Monday in a press release by CWI which thanked Grave for his contribution as CEO.

President of CWI, Dr Kishore Shallow said Grave had made a “lasting impact” on cricket in the region.

“Johnny’s efforts, particularly through challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as successfully hosting three World Cups — including the Women’s World T20 in 2018, the Men’s U-19 Cricket World Cup in 2022, and recently the Men’s T20 World Cup — have made a lasting impact on CWI.

“Appreciably, the organisation has taken many positive strides during his tenure. A standout achievement is the acquisition and full ownership of the Coolidge Cricket Ground, which is now our headquarters and home to our men’s and women’s academies,” Shallow said.

“On behalf of the board and all at CWI, I express heartfelt thanks to him for the unwavering commitment and leadership over the past several years.”

Grave was named CEO of CWI by former Chairman Dave Cameron in 2017, after the resignation of Michael Muirhead.

The Englishman said while he was leaving the position in search of a “new challenge”, he had thoroughly enjoyed his tenure at CWI.

“It has been an absolute privilege to have been CEO of CWI since February 2017,” Grave said. “Having just hosted a successful T20 World Cup and delivered significant surpluses for CWI for the third-consecutive year, I do feel it is the right time for me and my family to seek a new challenge.

“I have received tremendous support from so many people since becoming CEO and I’d like to thank everyone — especially the staff and the players, particularly during the difficult pandemic — for their trust in me and their commitment to West Indies cricket.

“My family and I have loved living in Antigua and will leave with many special memories, having watched our young children grow up here. I have put everything into this role, and now is the right time for someone new, with fresh energy, to lead the organisation and continue this important work and build on the strong foundations that are now in place.”

CWI said it would “be initiating a comprehensive recruitment process to select the next CEO”, and promised that a thorough and transparent selection process would be undertaken.

Shallow said, “CWI is poised to deliver the new strategic plan and enter a new era of governance. This transition reflects our commitment to adapting and innovating in response to the evolving landscape of cricket.”