CWI’s Kishore Shallow and PM Gonsalves spar on a political wicket

President of Cricket West Indies, Dr Kishore Shallow has defended his stance to remain as head of the regional body despite his decision to contest the next general elections on a New Democratic Party (NDP) ticket.

“Participation in national politics does not prohibit anyone from being the president of Cricket West Indies,” Dr Shallow retorted to SEARCHLIGHT on Monday, one day after Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves commented on radio that Shallow should think about vacating his position as CWI President.

Speaking on WEFM’s “Issue at Hand” programme on Sunday, February 9, 2025, Gonsalves voiced strong objections over Shallow holding the position of CWI President while taking part in electoral politics as a member of the NDP. Shallow has been selected to contest the North Leeward seat which was very narrowly won by the ULP’s Carlos James in the 2020 general elections by a single vote.

Gonsalves’ comments came days after St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) was informed that the country would not be getting any games in the 2025 Australia tour of the Caribbean.

Shallow has said that SVG has three other hosting opportunities this year- hosting of two first class matches, hosting the West Indies Women’s Blaze, and South Africa Men’s A team tour of West Indies, which includes two test matches and three 50 overs matches.

The Prime Minister said that while the country is happy to host the women, it was given assurances about Australia but that has not come to fruition.
“I do not want to suggest at all that there’s any perfidy involved. I will never suggest that the President of Cricket West Indies- because of his membership of the New Democratic Party, and he’s running as a candidate- I’ll never suggest that he’d want to see St Vincent and the Grenadines disadvantaged in an election year,” Gonsalves said on radio.

He added, “I wouldn’t make that suggestion at all. That’s why I say. I wouldn’t say that there’s any perfidy at stake, but it raises the question which I’ve raised from the very beginning, and which leaders in CARICOM have raised.

“I wasn’t at the meeting in Guyana…I had some pressing business after the meeting…I had to come back, but I had a representative, the foreign minister was there at that meeting….

“I know it was raised. It is entirely inappropriate; and I want the region to quote me on this. It is entirely inappropriate for the President of Cricket West Indies to remain as President of Cricket West Indies while he is an active politician to compete for electoral office in one of those territories, St Vincent and the Grenadines…” Gonsalves stated.

He said that Cricket West Indies is a “uniting phenomenon” not to be subject to any political divisiveness.

“…and there must be no taint of that. Cricket West Indies, in this regard, is like CARICOM, the OECS, The University of the West Indies”.

“You don’t expect the Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, even if the rules don’t completely prohibit it, to be a candidate in Jamaica, Barbados or Trinidad for electoral office, you wouldn’t expect that to be the case of the President of the Caribbean Development Bank, you wouldn’t expect that, or the Secretary General of CARICOM or the OECS,” Gonsalves commented.

He noted that Cricket West Indies will be holding elections next month and Dr Shallow is seeking re-election.

“One would expect that with his office…Doctor Shallow could have said, ‘well, I will not offer myself any longer, I’ll shorten my term because I anticipate that the election in St Vincent and the Grenadines will be sometime after that’…instead, what is happening, he’s seeking to have his term extended by a year, raising the Wehby Report saying we really shouldn’t even have any elections…,” the Prime Minister added.

“…now reasonable persons may inquire, is Doctor Shallow seeking to do this as gamblers will do the each- way bet? Just in case I ain’t make it here, I make it there?

“Persons may raise that query. Now I raise this in the context of bringing people for cricket…,” Gonsalves said.

He added that if you have the Australia team coming to SVG in an election year, that gives a bounce.

He said that he is not calling for Dr. Shallow to resign, but what he is saying is that “you can’t do both things”.

“I’m not telling which one to do,” Gonsalves noted, while adding that Julian Hunt of St Lucia, demitted office as Leader the Opposition, and also got out of competitive politics when he became President of the regional cricket body.

“I know of no case, but if there’s any such case, it’s wrong…” the Prime Minister stated.

Responding yesterday, February 10, 2024, Shallow said, “as admitted by the Prime Minister in his philippic, participation in national politics does not prohibit anyone from being the president of Cricket West Indies.

“This is a fact confirmed in the Cricket West Indies Memorandum and Articles of Association. Therefore, I remain committed to the region to advance West Indies Cricket with a similar vigour to improve the governance of St Vincent and the Grenadines”.

He added also that he is not sure if the Prime Minister would have the same rhetoric if he were a candidate for the Unity Labour Party (ULP).
“I would never know,” Shallow said, smiling.