58 November 2016 - Business View Caribbean
around the globe. “We have three world events in ev-
ery four years,” Muirhead explains. “We also have bi-
lateral arrangements – that means we play amongst
ourselves. So, the ten full members, plus some of the
associates, play against each other in various formats
of the game. We have three formats: the traditional
game that can last up to five days, which we call ‘test’
cricket. That’s for the purists. Then you have the one-
day game. Then, we have the most recent format of
the game, the ‘T20,’ which lasts three to four hours.
It’s very exciting.”
Because of that excitement, cricket is very attractive
to TV audiences, as well as TV advertisers. “From the
bi-laterals, there are TV rights which are generated
when we play at home,” Muirhead relates. “And those
TV companies, like in any other sport, pay reasonable
sums to broadcast across the world.”
And also, just like in any other sport, the winners get to
make the best deals. “We used to rule the world, some
twenty years ago,” he laments. “We were number one
in the world in all formats of the game; we had put a
West Indian stamp on world cricket. We went into a de-
cline and we are looking to come out of that slump and
return to where we think we rightfully belong. Spon-
sors like winners and it puts us in a better negotiating
position with our broadcasters.”
And also, just like in any other professional sport, play-
ers on winning teams get noticed. “It affords them very
lucrative contracts in the leagues across the world,”
says Muirhead. “India, Australia, every cricketing na-
tion has one of these domestic leagues and players
look forward to being a part of them.”
Faustin suggests that the West Indies teams are head-
