Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
Ken Gordon, West Indies Cricket Board president gestures during yesterday's press conference in New Kingston. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
WEST INDIES Cricket Board (WICB) president Ken Gordon yesterday stated that barring any unforeseen circumstances, his organisation would not lose money this year.
Gordon took over the reins of the WICB on August 7, 2005 amidst wrangling with the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) and serious financial woes, where the organisation lost about US$6.5 million in one year.
Restructuring
While that situation looked grim, the WICB boss indicated in a press conference at the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 offices in New Kingston that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Gordon explained that when he came to power the WICB's marketing strategy was costing more money that it was bringing in and so it had to be restructured.
That restructuring, he says, saved US$3 million right off the bat.
That, along with the shortening of the Carib Beer series and some other choice belt-tightening initiatives by the WICB, according to Gordon, has ensured that their operating costs this year won't be more than their earnings.
"We have gone through everything that has been budgeted with a fine-tooth comb and reduced it and that is how we are fairly confident that we will break even," said Gordon.
During the press conference, it was also revealed that Texan billionaire Allen Stanford would be footing the bill for workshops that have come out of West Indies coach Bennett King and Tony Howard's reports for the development of cricket in the Caribbean which was finished three months ago.
Invitations for those workshops will be going out from as early as tomorrow with a date in the middle of September already being looked at.
At present, Gordon said there was still a US$15 million deficit but that could be removed by the Cricket World Cup next year.
Gordon was even more opti-mistic about the financial future and viability of the WICB, saying that it would not only clear the deficit but have somewhere between US$10 million and $20 million to put towards the develop-ment of the game in the region.
Naming New CEO
One of the most notable comments coming out of the press conference was the setting of a date for the WICB to name its next chief executive officer.
There have been numerous delays in offering the post to somebody, a fact that Gordon says he is unapologetic about.
Coming down from a list of 24 candidates, there are now just three or four still being considered. The decision is tentatively set for August 19 but, according to Gordon, it could be six weeks from the choosing of the CEO until the time he takes office.
The problems with WIPA continue to make headlines, but Gordon insists that while the WICB has been culpable in some situations, the rift is the normal day-to-day activities of what he terms a naturally 'adversarial relationship'.
This problem will be dealt with by the signing of retainer contracts and, of course, a much anticipated memorandum of understanding between the two parties.
"There is now a new agreement on the retainer contracts and these are due to be signed by August 31.
All outstanding contracts between the players and the WICB will also be signed," said Gordon.
Another topic that came up during the media-heavy press conference was the long talked-about WICB lottery as a means of earning money and the ill-effects on revenue of the ICC futures tour.
With regard to the lottery, Gordon said the topic had been on the table for too long, but said the WICB was in talks with govern-ments with a view to allowing his administration to move ahead with the plans.
The ICC Futures Tour has meant heavy losses for the WICB and Gordon has said that he hopes for the levelling of the playing field by the ICC after the board's detailed letter to them some months ago.
