West Indies CEO Calls for Touring Teams to Receive Fees
Johnny Grave, the chief executive of Cricket West Indies, is hopeful that the team’s resilient performance during their 2020 bio-secure tour of England will help advance the conversation about Test cricket’s revenue-sharing model. Grave believes the current system is “completely broken” and that the sport’s “Big Three” – India, England, and Australia – must find a better way to support the financial security of less affluent nations.
Speaking at Lord’s during MCC’s inaugural World Cricket Connects symposium, Grave emphasized West Indies’ competitiveness, having won the first Test of the 2020 tour in Southampton and their last two home series against England in 2019 and 2022. However, he noted the team’s reported $2 million outlay to fulfill their recent tour of Australia, from which they derived no financial benefit.
“We don’t get any money at all from the Australian market, or from that tour, so it’s a double-whammy,” Grave said, citing West Indies’ thrilling series-leveling win at the Gabba in January.
Grave welcomed the suggestion made by ECB counterpart Richard Gould that the time may be ripe for touring teams to be paid a fee for their overseas engagements. He argued that the “three countries” – India, England, and Australia – must work together to ensure the game’s “collective mindset” and financial sustainability.
The CEO praised the BCCI’s continued support for the global game, noting India’s ongoing T20I series in Zimbabwe shortly after their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados. However, he believes the onus is on the Big Three to find a more equitable revenue-sharing model to prop up less financially secure nations.
Grave highlighted West Indies’ pivotal role in “keeping the lights on” during the Covid-disrupted 2020 summer, when they fulfilled the ECB’s lucrative broadcast obligations. He argued that the game’s “genuine jeopardy” and competitive balance are essential for a thriving product.
As West Indies prepare to face England in a Test series starting at Lord’s, Grave is confident his team’s restored faith in the administration will shine through. He praised the balance struck between bilateral cricket, player windows for the IPL and CPL, and ensuring family time during the Christmas and New Year period.
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