Guyana is in talks with Cricket West Indies (CWI) to host a High-Performance Centre in the country.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali met with CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow, CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe; CWI Independent Director, Manniram Prashad; and owner of Guyana Amazon Warriors, Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop at State House on Friday and he expressed his support for their efforts to redevelop cricket in the Caribbean.
“We are excited as a Government to play our part with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) in the new re-development of cricket in the region. We welcome the partnership with CWI in the development of a regional High-Performance Centre and cricket academy here in Guyana,” Ali stated.
Ali wants to work with the CWI President to increase cricket’s popularity.
“We are also working with President Dr Shallow and Cricket West Indies on advancing some innovative ideas in bringing more opportunities to our cricket players and spectators in the Region. I believe strongly that defining our product as distinct from other regions and countries is critical in the rebranding and repositioning of CWI globally. Such a plan must incorporate the culture, people and natural beauty of our region.”
Ali said it was important for all parties involved to unite to advance cricket’s development in the Caribbean.
In response to Ali, Shallow thanked the president for Guyana’s investments in cricket and promoting the game.
“President Ali’s commitment to cricket is evident with the major investments to stage the magnificent cricket festival, including the CPL finals in Guyana. His zeal for the success of West Indies cricket is unquestionable. This partnership with Guyana promises tremendous value for our young and emerging cricketers who will have access to world-class facilities and programmes comparable to the best in the world. I emphasise that for West Indies teams to be iconic again, it is imperative that there is considerable collaboration between CWI and governments in our region,” Shallow stated.