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We invoke the concept of the public in different contexts. Broadly speaking, we are referring to people in general, but there are several common appendages to the word public: nuisance, pressure, opinion, intellectual, and good, are a few.
These aspects came to mind within the domain of cricket with the editorial in the T&T Guardian on 1 September.
Photo: Ashley Allen – CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images.
The editorialist focused on the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), asking what the tournament does “for the economic and social advancement” of the host nations. Noting that it seems that the franchises and the television coverage are owned by foreign investors, the writer asked: “what of local and regional capital to be invested to create new franchise teams?”
For the first part, the reality is that the CPL and Cricket West Indies (CWI) are both private entities. Who determines their obligations? It’s a troubling question.
In recent times, much attention has been bestowed on the concept of West Indies cricket as a public good.
Photo: CWI Media.
On 24 July, more than a year since the Caricom Regional Cricket Conference was held, the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee on Cricket issued a statement noting that it is “conscious of the economic, emotional, developmental and cultural importance” of the game, and that it is “very much a public good”.
The day after, CWI responded: “We deeply appreciate the ongoing interest and involvement of regional Heads of Government in the future of West Indies cricket and reaffirm our commitment to open and constructive engagement.”
During the 2024 Conference, the contractual arrangement between CWI and the CPL was strongly criticised for its inequitable structure. Has anything been done to rectify the imbalance? Who can intervene between the two private entities?
The categorisation of West Indies cricket as a public good appeared in the wake of a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of India in January 2015 against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)—ten years ago (reported by Dr Kusha Haraksingh, UWI TODAY, March 2015).
The decision established guidelines for the private control of a public good, which it deemed Indian cricket to be. It is a fascinating argument, and as Kusha wrote, the court “chose to establish its supervisory role on other grounds, namely, whether or not the BCCI was a state actor, it nevertheless discharged several important public functions, and as such was amenable to legal control…”
He was convinced that this ruling was of direct relevance to us in this region.
“[…] Some of what it is able to do, such as framing pension schemes or coaching and training arrangements, negotiating and selling broadcast and telecast rights, and collecting admission fees to playing venues are undertaken with the tacit concurrence of governmental authorities,” he wrote.
And the court said: “any organisation or entity that has such pervasive control over the game and its affairs as can make dreams end up in smoke or come true cannot be said to be undertaking any private activity.”
So, it is one thing to designate our cricket as a public good, but it is no good to the public if it is not legally enforceable.
If Caricom wants to do something substantial for West Indies cricket, it could, for a start, institute legal proceedings to establish that it is indeed a public good and should therefore be subjected to scrutiny and accountability by the courts.
Surely, the decline in West Indies cricket and its fall from the upper rankings of Test cricket could be a basis for intervention. With the current ICC discussions about changing the format to have different tiers, there has to be a way to reorganise the structure and framework.
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images.
The Guardian editorial was obviously premised on the acceptance of our cricket as a public good.
Its second point about starting new franchises owned and operated regionally has come way too late. This is the thirteenth edition of the CPL, it has found its belly and is now deeply rooted in the T20 fairground.
Years ago, Brian Lara suggested that the region should consider setting up franchise leagues—that was probably before the CPL. Maybe that would have been the time; but even so, it is reasonable to think that regional corporations and investors were initially approached.
Photo: CWI Media.
Jamaica had to sit it out this year though there is talk of a return for the next edition. The region is economically strapped; is it practical to try to set up something new?
Perhaps, it might be more feasible to explore different options with the existing CPL.
Under the prevailing circumstances, there is no real expectation that Caricom will take any decisive action. More than a year after the consultations, all that has emerged is a consensus to revisit the reports and recommendations from past committees.
Photo: Caricom.
“The PMSC on Cricket is establishing a special Committee of diverse stakeholders, including our Cricket Legends, the private sector and academia. We will, with this Committee, review the multiple high-level Reports on West Indies Cricket, synthesise the various recommendations that they contain and propose an Action Plan.
“Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the National Cricket Associations will be invited to be a part of the consultation and review process.”
This has been an election year in several of the territories, heads have been distracted. In any case, this is a place where talk is cheap.
Photo: Ashley Allen – CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images.
But we shouldn’t be surprised. This is the land we, the public, built.
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Vaneisa Baksh is a columnist with the Trinidad Express, an editor and a cricket historian. She is the author of a biography of Sir Frank Worrell.
