Published: May 21, 2020, 07:15 AM (IST)
Edited: May 20, 2020, 09:27 PM (IST)
Fast bowling great Michael Holding has alleged misuse of half a million US dollars that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) donated to Cricket West Indies. The former West Indian seamer said that the money donated by world’s richest cricket board – BCCI was given to help retired players from the Caribbean players but it did not reach them. The allegations have raised some serious questions on the financial management of the game’s governing body in the island nation.
On a YouTube show, Holding displayed the audit report of Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF) on cricket governance in the Caribbean and raised several red flags. He also touched upon the donation CWI received from the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for the benefit of its former players.
“Way back in 2013-2014, the BCCI donated half a million US dollars specifically to go to past players. I am a past player, not that I want any of it but I know a lot of past players, I have never heard that not even one cent out of that half a million going to any past player.
“I am absolute sure if they (CWI) had done that, they would have made a big hullabaloo about it. Where is that half a million dollars? I will tell the viewers very soon,” said said the 66-year-old.
With the audit report in his hands, the legendary Jamaican questioned why it has not gone public. He said the more he reads the report, the more angry he gets.
“Former President to Prime Ministers (of various islands) have been calling for forensic report over the governance of cricket in the Caribbean. The current regime did not do a forensic audit, but they did an audit. They had the report in January but never released it.
“The 60-page report does not look good. It is a damning and harsh report. I want to delve into it,” said Holding.
Holding said CWI should make the audit report public.
“They can claim confidentiality if they are a private company. You cannot claim to be a private company if you have public share-holders. The share-holders of CWI are six regional boards. They are hiding behind a clause to not release the report,” he added.
