Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has described as “shameful” the US$10,000 awarded by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to members of the West Indies team that won the inaugural 1975 Cricket World Cup.
Speaking on the Issues at Hand programme on WEFM with hosts Philbert John, Cecil Ryan, and Joel Providence, Gonsalves gave an update on the highly anticipated Cricket Festival, scheduled for July 31 to Emancipation Day, a four-day event celebrating the legacy of West Indies cricket.
The Prime Minister said he had written two articles highlighting the historic 1975 victory and asked what CWI was doing to honour the players. Following the publication of those articles, CWI responded that they had something planned.
That “something,” Gonsalves said, turned out to be an award ceremony hosted in collaboration with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), where the legends were honoured and presented with US$10,000 each.
> “But what they did — they tacked it on to WIPA’s annual awards. It’s shameful,” Gonsalves stated.
“Look at the money they gave them — US$10,000? After 50 years? Surely a money-making enterprise like CWI can do much better than that.”
When host Joel Providence asked whether the government had reached out to CWI to collaborate on the festival, Gonsalves replied directly:
> “No.”
Region-Wide Tribute Blocked by Scheduling Conflicts
The Prime Minister said he had spoken with Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and President Irfaan Ali of Guyana about hosting a joint regional tribute for the cricket legends, and both leaders had agreed. However, due to conflicting schedules — including elections in Guyana on September 1st and Barbados preparing for CARIFESTA and Crop Over — a combined event could not be arranged.
> “We had to go ahead in this tight window, with Winlott Games winding down and Windwards cricket playing around that time,” Gonsalves explained.
> “Somebody have to stand up and tek we name out of people mouth — and if it fall on us, so be it,” he added.
A Look Back at West Indies Cricket Greatness
Gonsalves took time to reflect on the legacy of West Indies cricket, citing the team’s dominance in the 1960s and 70s. He highlighted the squad captained by a then 20-year-old Garfield Sobers, which defeated the top three cricket nations — India, England, and Australia — to unofficially claim the title of Test champions of the world.
> “We beat India at home in 1962, we defeated England 3–0, and beat Australia 2–1 at home. Then, ten years later, we won the first World Cup in 1975. This thing deserves something large,” the Prime Minister declared.
Not a Personal Attack on Dr. Shallow
Gonsalves dismissed suggestions that his comments were targeted at CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow.
> “People might say I’m trying to get at the President of CWI — but that is not the case,” he clarified.
He added that some people had even suggested offering citizenship to the cricket legends as a form of national honour. Gonsalves reminded the public that the late Milton Cato, SVG’s first Prime Minister, had made provisions for Sir Garfield Sobers to purchase property in St. Vincent because of his extraordinary achievements.
“The Biggest Cricket Festival in the Region” – Minister Carlos James
The Cricket Festival was officially announced by Minister of Tourism Carlos James during a recent press conference. James dubbed the event “the biggest cricket festival to be played in the region,” noting that it will feature international players, Caribbean legends, and major entertainment tied to the Emancipation celebrations.
The official launch takes place today, as St. Vincent and the Grenadines positions itself to honour its cricketing past while using sports tourism to build a more vibrant future.