Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Chris Dehring has strongly criticized the financial structure of international bilateral cricket, revealing that the Caribbean board will receive no broadcasting revenue from their ongoing away series against India.
Speaking on Wisden Cricket's podcast The Scoop, Dehring explained that a 1997 International Cricket Council (ICC) vote abolished touring fees, allowing the host country to retain 100% of all broadcasting and series earnings.
While the five-T20I series is projected to generate millions for the hosts, the current system leaves visiting teams like the West Indies struggling with severe financial distress.
This persistent financial strain recently forced CWI into a massive internal restructuring, including a 25% pay cut for internationally contracted players and the temporary suspension of key domestic tournaments.
"West Indies cricket receives nothing in this case, because the series is being played in India. A series that could generate $20 million to $30 million in India brings West Indies cricket no revenue," Dehring said.
"To understand how this happened, you have to go back to 1997. I was fortunate, or unfortunate, to be around when the ICC member countries voted to change the financial model that underpinned world cricket. Until then, West Indies was a very attractive team, and everybody wanted us to tour. We would receive a touring fee, which was often worth more than we could earn by hosting a series in the Caribbean," he added.
Dehring highlighted that this revised system created a major imbalance between countries with huge fanbase and smaller cricketing nations.
"That meant India could retain the revenues generated by a population of one and a half billion people, while West Indies could retain whatever revenues we could generate in Antigua, with its population of around 100,000, or St Kitts, with around 30,000," Dehring stated.
"It was palpably unfair. We were outvoted nine to one by the ICC member countries. At the time, I said that this decision had effectively signed the demise of West Indies cricket because it took away our main source of income," he remarked.
Despite the financial issues off the field, the action on the pitch remains highly competitive. The five-match T20I series is currently locked at 2-2 after a high-scoring affair in Hyderabad, with Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium set to host the decider on Saturday (October 17).
