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TIMES CARIBBEAN GLOBAL

KINGSTON, JAMAICA — July 17, 2025 — The heated regional debate over the future of West Indies cricket has taken a fiery turn, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow launched a scathing counterattack against Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, following the Prime Minister’s public call for the entire CWI board to resign.

Shallow, addressing reporters on Tuesday, admitted that the West Indies Test team’s humiliating performance against Australia at Sabina Park—where they were bowled out for a record-low 27 runs—was “inexcusable” and a “bitter pill to swallow.” However, he dismissed Gonsalves’ resignation demand as political grandstanding, and in a bold twist, suggested Gonsalves should be the one to step down.

“Dr. Gonsalves is entitled to his opinion,” said Shallow. “However, as a long-standing Prime Minister for almost a quarter of a century in a country that has shown so little progress or growth—some may even argue that we’ve regressed—it may not be a bad approach for Dr. Gonsalves himself to demonstrate some leadership and resign.”

The explosive comments come after Prime Minister Gonsalves lambasted the CWI board on national radio, calling their leadership a “humiliation of our people” and urging an immediate board-wide resignation followed by a full forensic audit of CWI’s operations and finances.

But Shallow, unshaken, maintained that “knee-jerk reactions” and political pressure are not the solution to the deep-rooted problems facing West Indies cricket.

“Over the years, the problem with West Indies cricket is that we’ve always looked for quick fixes—fire this person, fire that person. And then what? We’re right back in the same position a year later,” said Shallow. “We have to dig deep and take a responsible approach.”

He also confirmed that an emergency meeting of CWI’s Cricket Committee has been called and that cricketing legends have been invited to contribute to a comprehensive and long-term plan for revival.

“No one at Cricket West Indies is pleased or comfortable about that defeat. We are all hurting. That’s why we’re acting now,” he stated. “But leadership must be thoughtful, not theatrical.”

Shallow’s call for Gonsalves to look in the mirror has ignited even more tension in what is quickly becoming a region-wide showdown between politics and sports governance.

As the Caribbean reels from one of the darkest moments in its cricketing history, the public now watches to see whether heads will roll — and whose heads will go first: those in the boardroom or those in the cabinet.

One thing is clear: the gloves are off, and West Indies cricket is no longer just a sport — it’s a battlefield.