As arguably now the most important figures in the highest echelons of West Indies cricket, the next two years could very well be legacy-defining for both Dr Kishore Shallow and Daren Sammy. The former of course, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) incumbent President; the latter as West Indies Men’s teams Head Coach and Chief Selector.
March 2028 will be the Centenary Anniversary of the West Indies’ 1928 entry to Test cricket. It will also mark the fifth-year anniversary since Dr Shallow was first elected CWI’s President. And perhaps even more importantly, the final year of his since-historic re-election to an unprecedented three-year term. Sufficiently ample time frames, therefore, for definitive judgment of his overall effectiveness as West Indies cricket’s highest elected official.
To Shallow’s credit, there have been some very encouraging recent developments, particularly since the beginning of this year. The continuation of CWI’s Five For Fun Program, which serves to introduce the region’s young children aged 7-11 to cricket under Republic Bank’s generously supportive title sponsorship, is a highly commendable initiative.
Now in its sixth successive year, Five For Fun Programs are currently being successfully, most impressively, rolled out in most CWI member territories. From Guyana in the south, thru north to Jamaica and almost everywhere in between. Highly commendable indeed.
Equally deserving of the very highest commendations was the collaborative effort of CWI in partnership with the Jamaica Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) to avail Jamaican schoolchildren with free admission attendance at the June 3, 2026, West Indies – Sri Lanka First One Day International (ODI). For many West Indian cricket fans and followers, it would have been most heartening to witness the televised coverage of the 1300-plus schoolchildren, many of whom were reportedly active and aspiring young cricketers, in attendance at the match.
Such initiatives, designed as they are to rekindle interest and active involvement in cricket by the region’s youth, are as necessary as they are welcomed. Sufficiently so as to warrant continued implementation at each and every one of the matches the West Indies will be hosting across all formats during the coming months.
CWI’s announcement of a West Indies Academy Squad June 3-27, 2026 multi-format tour to Sri Lanka is yet another addition to the seemingly impressive list of worthwhile initiatives that the Shallow-led organisation has been rolling out in recent months. As CWI’s issued Press Release has impressively stated: “this tour represents another significant investment in the development of the next generation of West Indies cricketers, offering players the opportunity to gain valuable overseas experience and adapt to challenging subcontinent conditions against quality opposition!”
The squad inclusion of Guyana’s Kevlon Anderson and Barbados’ Johann Layne, both of whom have already played for the West Indies in Tests, as supposedly “next generation” players, may give cause for disapproval fueled discussion. Any such voice of disapproval should, however, have been effectively silenced by CWI’s preemptively provided explanation that such players “were being afforded the international development experience opportunity!”
Far more controversial, if not entirely, incredulously mind-boggling has been CWI’s equally recent announcement of its Antigua Coolidge Cricket Centre hosting of a 10-day High Performance Assessment Camp for twelve of the region’s most promising fast bowlers. The Camp, to be administered by CWI’s recently hired Fast Bowling Consultant, former West Indies player Otis Gibson, is being conducted “as part of CWI’s commitment to strengthening capacity and supporting player development across the Caribbean!”
As commendable as it may be, however, that announcement now automatically raises a question most worthy of an answer and/or explanation. Which is , of course, as to how and why any Antigua-based Camp that has even the remotest connection to fast bowling could ever justifiably be held minus the active involvement of two of the greatest exponents of said art form, the West Indies has ever produced, and the entire cricket world has ever witnessed.
No one with any degree of cricketing knowledge could ever dispute the deservedness of Antigua’s Sir Anderson Montgomery Roberts and Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose to any such acclamation. Their respective Test records of 202 wickets in 47 matches at a 25.61 average by Roberts and, even more impressively, Ambrose’s 405 wickets in 98 Tests at a measly 20.99 average, should most effectively silence any such doubters.
As to why CWI would not have found it ft to invite either or both to participate in the Camp at some level, even if it was merely to provide opening or closing speeches of advice and encouragement, is, therefore, beyond comprehension.
Even more so, when considered against the backdrop of CWI’s continued glaring failure to make good on its oft-repeated promise to secure active involvement by great former players in the further development of West Indies cricket. Particularly those who were members of the Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards led teams who played unbeaten in Tests for an historic, unprecedented fifteen years.
The politician that he has since revealed himself to be, however, it should perhaps not come as any great surprise to anyone that Dr Shallow has again proven himself to be in possession of issuing empty promises. The greater majority of the promised initiatives he had outlined in the personal portfolio he’d presented while campaigning for the CWI Presidency back in 2023 remained unfulfilled. And as this writer can personally attest, and which many others might as well, making good on his given word has not been proven to be one of Dr Shallow’s greatest strengths.
How well Dr Shallow does in fulfilling all the promises he’s made as President, including those that are included in CWI’s current three-year Strategic Plan, will most likely decide how his tenure is eventually adjudged. When it comes to its scheduled conclusion in three years’ time.
For Coach/Chief Selector Daren Sammy, the assessment of his own legacy will be far more straightforward. Plain and simple, whether his West Indies-coached and selected Men’s teams gain automatic qualification for the forthcoming 2027 ICC ODI World Cup will be the primary factor against which Sammy will be judged. Having failed to qualify for the previous World Cup, which was held in 2023, the West Indies are currently languishing in tenth position in the ICC’s ODI rankings.
Only the top eight teams of which will be awarded 2027 World Cup automatic qualification. South Africa’s inclusion in the current rankings, together with its automatic qualification as the World Cup tournament host, will, however, allow the ninth-placed team to also gain automatic qualification. The task ahead for Sammy and his West Indies charges will thus be to gain sufficient points from their remaining available matches until the March 31, 2027, evaluation deadline to be among the top nine teams at that stage.
Their quest to do so has, however, not gotten off to the best possible start. They lost their most recent, June 3, 2026, encounter at home to the visiting Sri Lankans. There are now still two matches remaining in that series for necessary positive results to be attained, but thereafter the West Indies will then face very challenging ODI assignments against New Zealand, India, Pakistan and even Afghanistan. All are currently higher ranked and formidable enough as future 2027 World Cup qualification opponents. For the West Indies as Buju Banton has famously sung, “It’s Not An Easy Road!”