Prime Minister of Grenada and Chairman of the CARICOM Subcommittee on Cricket Governance, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, has congratulated the West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams on their heartwarming victories in the World T20 competitions earlier today.

The Men’s team defeated England in the Finals by four wickets, with two balls remaining; scoring four consecutive sixes in the first four balls of the final over, to secure the seemingly improbable win. Earlier the Women’s team crushed defending champions Australia to secure their first ever World  T20 title.

“It is with exhilarating pride that I extend the heartiest congratulations, on behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, as well as all the CARICOM Prime Ministers, to our region’s cricketers. The Under-19 earlier this year in the ICC World Cup; the Women’s Team earlier today for securing the T20 championship, and now the Men’s team for achieving this great World T20 victory,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

Dr. Mitchell noted that throughout the hard-fought contests and in the face of daunting adversities on and off the field, the Caribbean teams maintained their focus, and executed with skill, composure and pride, to deliver to an expectant and grateful region some of the most memorable victories in West Indies cricketing history; and indeed the most memorable in recent times.

Again, Prime Minister Mitchell, who had extended best wishes to the teams prior to the Finals and expressed his optimism for victory, pledged the continued unwavering support of the Governments of the CARICOM region to developing cricket on an all-encompassing basis, including its governance, so as to ensure that on all levels, the players receive the necessary guidance and nurturing to harness their potential.

Prime Minister Mitchell reasserted the collective belief that cricket is arguably the most unifying force among the people and countries in the Caribbean region, citing that “the sport continues to be a major catalyst for positive social transformation. As such, the West Indies organization must be reminded of the tremendous role they play in regional development,” the Prime Minister added.

“This is why we are so happy today, after these victories. Hopefully, we are witnessing a major turnaround in West Indies cricket” the Prime Minister added.