KINGSTON, Jamaica - "It is incumbent in all of us to make our voices heard, armed with the facts, that the time has come for a dramatic change to the structure and governance of the West Indies Cricket Board as called for by the Patterson Report."
Those were the words of Douglas Orane, as he threw out a challenge to the West Indies Cricket Board, (WICB), against the background of what he called the "tremendous opportunities" that reside within West Indies international cricket. He was speaking at the Jamaica Cricket Association Awards held on Friday, March 1, at the Mona Visitors' Lodge and Conference Centre.
Referring to the Patterson Report of 2007, which called for a major overhaul of the governance structure of West Indies Cricket, and specifically the WICB, Orane noted the "universal disappointment and frustration" at the report's non-implementation. In noting that five years have passed since the report was done, Orane posed the question, "What will precipitate the change before the opportunities in international cricket wither away before our eyes"?