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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Keith Rowley has refuted claims by Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Dr Kishore Shallow, that CARICOM governments were not doing enough to assist in the development of cricket in the region.

In fact, Dr Rowley, who also served as chairman of CARICOM's Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket during his time in office, said he was shocked to hear such accusations from Dr Shallow.

In a previous interview on WESN Tv's Face of Sports programme, Dr Shallow charged that infrastructure across the region needed to be improved, and there was a need for more emphasis to be placed on grassroots cricket programmes along with school and club cricket.

He contended it was a misconception that it was the responsibility of CWI or the territorial boards to address those issues.

Dr Shallow said CWI did not have the resources to undertake such a massive venture and they needed the help of governments in the region.

However, speaking during an interview on Isports on i95.5 FM recently, Dr Rowley maintained that CARICOM governments were not to blame.

"As you know I'm no longer involved in CARICOM's business or carrying the positions I held at CARICOM, so I don't want to pretend to speak for CARICOM, but I am quite surprised that Dr Shallow in the face of a management disaster at Cricket West Indies could identify CARICOM governments as the problem that we are facing.

"I am not sure exactly what CWI is expecting from CARICOM governments as they run the show of trying to compete in international Test cricket," Dr Rowley said.

"As far as I am aware, CARICOM governments this last season when I was there and Dr Mitchell from Grenada, Prime Minister Gonsalves from St Vincent and now President Ali from Guyana, it is my view that CARICOM did more than indicate an interest in West Indies cricket and we actually tried to work alongside CWI.

"At that meeting we held here in Trinidad to see how CARICOM could support CWI, that was a unique situation. We brought a lot of people here who are stakeholders and tried to untangle the web that is West Indies' confusion in cricket, and I really don't think that Dr Shallow means that CARICOM governments should be blamed," he further added.

"Cricket in the Caribbean at school level and junior level is largely a government thing; the facilities, the infrastructure are government facilities in most instances and governments give tremendous support."