Shallow says Kensington Oval overlooked due to financial constraints

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow has revealed that a lack of financial resources was the main reason behind Kensington Oval’s exclusion from hosting regional or international fixtures in 2026.

Speaking on the popular radio show Down to Brass Tacks on VOB92.9 FM on Thursday, Dr Shallow said the decision to exclude ‘The Mecca’ from upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan later this year, came down to dollars and cents.

He explained that while Kensington Oval had hosted international matches every year from 2021 to 2025, CWI’s current financial state did not afford them that luxury this year.

In its most recent financial report released last month, CWI disclosed that in 2025 it recorded a net income loss of US$28.5 million, compared to a net surplus of US$22.6 million in 2024.

The governing body for cricket in the region said its cash resources had also fallen from US$17.5 million in 2024 to US$1.7 million in 2025.

“Since Covid, Barbados has hosted international bilateral series every single year and of course there was the World Cup hosted in Barbados in 2024, including the final that was bid for by almost all of the countries in the Caribbean.

“There are other countries that have missed out on international cricket, some countries haven’t hosted international cricket for two or three years…But we’ve come to a stage where we’ve had to make changes because of the fact that we are trying our utmost to manage, to balance our financial statements,” Dr Shallow said

“In a year when the series that we are hosting, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand, we are operating at a significant loss, and so we have to minimise those costs as much as possible and that is what informed the decision by management that this year will have two Test matches for the first time in Antigua and Barbuda and then we’re hosting games in Jamaica and we’re hosting games in Trinidad and Tobago and in Guyana.

“…Yes we are quite pleased with the level of interest, as always from the Government of Barbados, the people of Barbados, the supporters and lovers of cricket in Barbados, but we want you to understand that this is simply a case of managing cricket across the region and ensuring that it is financially affordable and sustainable, and that is what really informed the decisions in terms of where these matches are played this year,” he further added.

His response came following recent comments by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who on Wednesday said Barbados could no longer rely on CWI for cricketing opportunities.

Mottley said that was one of the reasons why Barbados lobbied to host the finals of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this year.

However, Dr Shallow was quick to point out that the CPL was owned by CWI.

He said the fact that they were awarded the CPL finals meant Kensington Oval stood to benefit.

“Last year Guyana didn’t host any international matches, but they hosted CPL which forms part of our annual calendar, and I think that is one of the things that is probably being discounted; that CPL is indeed owned by CWI as well.

“And yes, they [CPL] have their operations team there, but we consider the schedule for CPL when we do our annual calendar…and it is part of the consideration that they [Kensington Oval] would not be without cricket,” Dr Shallow said.

“We are quite excited and happy that Barbados [would be hosting the CPL final] and we knew this from very early, since last year when the CEO Pete Russell expressed to me that Barbados has great interest in hosting the final and of course I supported it strongly, that Barbados would be an excellent venue and location to host the CPL finals and I’m really looking forward to that as well.”

Shallow maintained that CWI would have been willing to host international matches at Kensington Oval had the Barbados government offered to help with the financial load.

CMC