The West Indies Cricket Umpires’ Association (WICUA) 30th Biennial convention was held in the Cayman Islands July 1 – 8, 2023.The convention, which is held every two years, brought together umpires from the entire region including the USA, Canada and Bermuda along with Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands and of course the hosts The Cayman Islands.

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The convention started with our customary church service on Sunday, our Flag raising and opening ceremony on Monday followed by the General Council meeting which ended on Tuesday with the elections of officers for a new two-year term.  
Mr. Vivian Johnson, former Honorary Secretary for the past 20 years was elected as President, replacing outgoing President Mr. Cecil Fletcher, as the other three candidates withdrew their nominations.

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The other elected officers are:

Mr. Patrick Grazette (Barbados) – Executive Vice President
Mr. Roan McFarlane (USA) -Area 1 Vice President
Mr. Austin Christopher (Leeward Islands) -Area 2 Vice President
Mr. Roger Davis – (Windward Islands) – Area 3 Vice President
Mr. Jeewanlal Sookhoo (Trinidad & Tobago) – Area 4 Vice President
Mr. Terrence Richards (Jamaica) – Honorary Secretary
Mr. Norman Malcolm (Jamaica) – Assistant Secretary / Treasurer
Mr. Peter Nero (Trinidad & Tobago) – Chairman, Training & Examination.

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These officers will serve for a period of two years and will manage the affairs of the association, until the next convention which is proposed for Trinidad & Tobago in 2025.

Messrs. Cecil Fletcher, outgoing president and Billy Doctrove, outgoing Executive Vice President, were accorded the status of Honorary Life member of WICUA by the Council. Both served the Association in those capacities as well as being Area Vice presidents for many years.

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From all indications, the convention was a success. The deliberations went quite well as the delegates, officers and observers made impactful contributions and proposals as they discussed reports from the president, area Vice presidents, Honorary Secretary, Chairman of Training & Exam, publicity committee, and the financial statements. Resulting from these discussions and proposals, the WICUA will be strengthened in relation to the formation of a budget committee and to increase the awareness of the website to include other social media entities for broader reach and information dissemination and promotion.

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Other important deliberations took place in the business sessions including the presentation of discussion papers and the outlining of the WICUA 5-year strategic plan which encompassed wide-ranging development and engaging ideas to propel the WICUA forward as the principal cricket umpiring body in this hemisphere. The participants were also engaged in group discussions and presentations on their discussed topics, and a lively panel discussion on the final morning of the convention. 

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One of the main features of this year’s convention, was the practical umpiring training carried out by Peter Nero, Chairman of Training. Extensive videos were shown to demonstrate the interpretation and application of the laws and playing conditions as well as role playing scenarios done by the participants in dealing with the decision review system.   

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There was also a fun T/20 cricket match played on the Thursday afternoon between the host, Cayman and visiting umpires (rest team). The match was won by the Cayman team. I must also mention the nightly events put on by the host to make the participants feel at home, entertained, the provision of food and the socialization aspect were some of the highpoints of the convention. The host country organizing committee was showered with a lot of praises by everyone who attended for a job well done. 

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The convention culminated with the President’s banquet and awards function on Friday night. The highlight of this function was the receival of WICUA certificates by umpires who have completed their qualifying exams and are now fully qualified West Indies Umpires. Awards were also presented to members who have distinguished themselves, in leadership, service, longevity and dedication to the association. A special award went to Mr. Tony Lalacksingh of Trinidad & Tobago for over 60 years of service and longevity to WICUA. Guest speaker at the function was the Caymanian Minister of Youth and Sports, the Honourable Bernie Bush who also presented several of the awards.

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Prepared by:
Vivian Johnson
President
WICUA
July 12, 2023.

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