New Delhi: Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Chris Dehring has criticised the financial structure of international cricket, claiming the West Indies receive no share of the revenue generated by their series against India, despite the enormous commercial value of these contests.
Speaking on Wisden Cricket’s Inside Scoop, Dehring said a series played in India could generate an estimated $20 million to $30 million, but the West Indies cricket board does not benefit directly from that revenue under the existing arrangement.
He described the system as one of the major inequalities in international cricket, arguing that the current model disproportionately favours countries with large populations and lucrative domestic broadcasting markets.
Dehring traced the origins of the arrangement to 1997, when International Cricket Council (ICC) member nations voted to change the financial model governing international cricket. He said the West Indies were previously able to earn substantial income from overseas tours through touring fees and other arrangements.
According to Dehring, touring countries such as India, Australia and England had provided an important source of revenue for West Indies cricket, helping sustain the game in the Caribbean. He argued that the earlier system allowed the team to earn more from international tours than it could generate by hosting matches at home.
However, he said cricket boards increasingly recognised the commercial value of domestic television rights and chose to retain the revenue generated within their own markets instead of sharing it with visiting teams.
Dehring highlighted the disparity between India’s vast audience and the much smaller populations of Caribbean territories such as Antigua and St Kitts. He argued that this leaves the West Indies with a significantly smaller potential revenue base despite their participation in commercially valuable international fixtures.
He described the 1997 decision as deeply unfair and said the West Indies were outvoted by nine votes to one. Dehring also recalled warning at the time that removing overseas tours as a major source of income could have serious consequences for the future of West Indies cricket.
His comments have renewed attention on the financial inequalities within international cricket and the challenges faced by smaller cricket boards in competing with wealthier nations.