Barbados Cricket Association President, Conde Riley, Reprimanded by Cricket West Indies for Failing Fiduciary Duties

President of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Conde Riley has been reprimanded by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for failing to fulfil his fiduciary duties as a CWI director.

In a letter dated October 5, signed by CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow, of which Barbados TODAY obtained a copy, it was alleged that Riley, a longstanding cricket administrator, exhibited recent, deeply unsatisfactory conduct in his roles as a director of CWI and chairman of a CWI Committee.

However, while Riley received a warning, CWI indicated it would not take any further action at this time.

“I write to highlight and bring to your urgent attention, the recent, and deeply unsatisfactory, aspects of your conduct as a Director of Cricket West Indies Inc. (CWI) and Chair of a CWI Committee, which constitute a significant deficiency in the discharge of your fiduciary duties as a CWI Director,” Dr Shallow said in the letter.

“To date, there has been a noticeable failure on your part to assume and execute your role as Chair of the CWI NOC (No Objection Certificate) Committee. On July 19, 2023, you failed to attend a pre-arranged meeting, and at the rescheduled meeting on September 15, 2023, your tardiness of more than 20 minutes was followed by an unprecedented request for the secretary to chair the meeting, effectively abdicating the responsibility designated to you by the Board.

“On September 23, 2023, and September 24, 2023, during the Board of Directors meetings in Guyana, although you were physically present and in attendance on both days, your apparent lack of engagement and contributions during these critical sessions was concerning, suggestive of a lapse in focus and commitment,” the letter further stated.

Riley, who was recently elected to serve another term as BCA president, was also chided for his recent public remarks where he announced that Barbados had been designated by the ICC to host the finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

“The most recent and egregious incident was your appearance on the Mason and Guest radio programme on September 26, 2023. Your inaccurate public statement that a letter from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) advising that Kensington Oval had been awarded the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Final not only misled the public, but also constituted a serious breach of the trust placed in you as a CWI Director. Such actions not only reflect poorly on your personal integrity but also bring the entire CWI organization into disrepute,” Dr Shallow warned.

“Considering the aforementioned, I strongly urge you to familiarize yourself with Article 51 of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of CWI and the Code of Ethics for the Board of Directors of CWI. While there is hesitancy at this time to enforce immediate consequential outcomes, I must emphasize that such consideration may not be extended in the future. It is crucial that you engage in sober self-reflection and take this warning as a serious caution against repeating such detrimental behaviour.”