Cameron says T&T become ICC member.
By Vinode Mamchan (Guardian).
Former president of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Dave Cameron says that countries like Trinidad and Tobago should become full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) but play only white-ball cricket alone and not Test matches.
He said that Test matches should be played as West Indies cricket team. He commented to support his point that cricket has to become a business and not only seen as a social tool. "When you look at Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica, they can beat teams like Ireland in white-ball cricket. By allowing them to play alone in international cricket in the white-ball format, it will allow more players to get chances and it will build the game. It will also lead to more domestic cricket and this will help. The countries will benefit financially as well and this is what you want."
Cameron added that he understands the social impact that West Indies cricket brings in terms of unity in the Caribbean and hence he is not calling for the dismantling of Cricket West Indies (CWI). I think that the West Indies should continue playing the Tests or even the 50-overs version but allow the individual nations in the Caribbean to compete alone as T20 teams.
"This would work well for global events like the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. We have to understand that cricket and sport, on the whole, are constantly changing, and if we don't adapt the sport will suffer."
Cameron who is vying to become chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) says that the ICC should be looking to spread the game in this way because they will get greater participation. "If they want to spread the cricket, then have players from countries like China, going to these countries and play against them. They may never compete against the giants but give them a chance to compete in white-ball cricket against the individual countries and the game will grow. We need to understand the way the world is going in terms of sports and sports business and put ourselves in a position to stay relevant."
Cameron is awaiting the rules as to how the new ICC chairman will be elected. He was asked by the US Cricket Hall of Fame of which he is a part, to consider throwing his hat into the ring and he agreed. The US Hall of Fame then wrote the president of CWI Ricky Skerritt asking him for the board to nominate Cameron but according to the Jamaican, the board is yet to respond.
