The longstanding CEO of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Johnny Graves, is parting ways with the organization. “It’s 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,” he stated. By the end of October, he is going to leave from the CWI.
CWI announced that in order to choose the next CEO, an extensive recruitment process will be launched. “I wished I would have been able to help CWI make more progress on Governance Reform and implementing the recommendations from the Wehby Report, made more progress at the ICC level with a more equitable model for International Cricket and done more to bring in new revenue to CWI specifically for grassroots cricket which is so important for the long-term health of the sport in the West Indies,” Grave (48), who has held the position since February 2017, told.
Throughout his seven-year term, he greatly improved the board’s relationship with the players. He recently helped develop an MOU that ensures players would have defined windows for the CPL and IPL tournaments between the CWI and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). The agreement also guarantees salary equity for women’s and men’s players by 2027.
Three ICC world championships were successfully held at CWI under his direction: the most recent Men’s T20 World Cup, the U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2022, and the Women’s World T20 World Cup in 2018. He played a highly acclaimed part throughout the difficult COVID-19 pandemic. He developed the biosecure cricket paradigm in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which made it possible for international cricket to resume in England, the West Indies, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
Additionally, he played a key role in forging a strong alliance between the CWI, the CPL, and the franchises. “Johnny’s efforts, particularly through challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as successfully hosting three World Cups 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 (CCG), which is now our headquarters and home to our Men’s and Women’s Academies,” CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow said.
