Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed the reappointment of Trinidad & Tobago’s Azim Bassarath as Vice President of the West Indies Cricket Board of Directors. For the purpose of electing a new vice president, the meeting was held on the 20th of September. Azim Bassarath was the sole candidate during nomination, and he has been nominated by the Leeward Islands Cricket Board and Jamaica Cricket Association.
Azim Bassarath, on his re-appointment, expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m excited to return to my duties for the good of West Indies cricket, working alongside my dedicated colleagues at Cricket West Indies. Since March of 2023, when Dr. Shallow took over, we made great strides in the most popular format of the game – T20, and we are determined to continue making these strides in the other two international formats. I have committed and remain committed to serving with integrity and respect for the process, while upholding the best governance practices. This vote of confidence signals that we can move forward with the business of cricket and deliver the results shareholders and fans across the region and around the world are eager to see, under the leadership of Dr. Kishore Shallow”.
As CWI stated, the territorial boards constituting the shareholders were adequately notified about the nomination. All the territorial boards have attended the meeting except the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
Bassarath’s re-election is a result of a case filed by the Guyana Cricket Board in Hight of Guyana. The GCB challenged Bassarath’s initial election as vice-president at CWI’s 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March 2023. The High Court Justice Navindra Singh ruled in favor of the GCB and declared the initial nomination “null, void and of no legal effect.” The court ordered Azim Bassarath to vacate the office.
On August 5, after an appeal lodged by CWI, the re-election was set to be held on 20th September. At the close of nomination, as Bassarath was the only candidate, he won the election uncontested. He expressed his excitement on getting a second chance o serve the West Indies Cricket. The regional cricket administrative body reassured its commitment towards democratic principles and its transparency.
While calling off the meeting on the 20th of September, The President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, thanked all the members of different cricket boards for their participation in the meeting and urged all the stakeholders of West Indies cricket to maintain unity.
On September 28, 2024, Cricket West Indies will host its next quarterly board meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.
