ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):
CRICKET WEST Indies president, Dr Kishore Shallow, believes his predecessor Ricky Skerritt will bring “tremendous value” to his new role as chairman of the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) board.
Speaking following a meeting with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Sports Minister Daryll Matthew, CCG general manager Nelecia Yeates and Skerritt, Shallow said the former CWI head’s “institutional knowledge” would be key to the success of the CCG project.
The meeting, held at the Office of the Prime Minister, saw Browne presented with the updated CCG master development plan.
“The appointment of Ricky Skerritt as chairman of CCG augurs well for the continuation and further investment in the potential of CCG,” Shallow said.
“No doubt, his wealth of experience and institutional knowledge offer tremendous value to completing this next phase of the CCG project.”
The latest version of the CCG development plan includes an updated design of the complex, featuring a state-of-the-art training facility and commercial establishments.
In a statement, CWI said both itself and the government had “[identified] opportunities for collaboration to transform the existing cricket facility into one of the best in the world.”
At the meeting, the parties also discussed Antigua’s overall role in regional cricket development stretching from the grassroots to the international level, and Shallow praised the ongoing partnership between CWI and the Antiguan government.
“Prime Minister Browne and his Government have been valuable friends of West Indies cricket,” Shallow said.
“In recent years, their cooperation in supporting CWI in the acquisition of Coolidge Cricket Ground as our home of cricket has been truly appreciated.
“It gives us great confidence to have them as a key partner as we embark on this next development phase.”