Johnny Grave to step down as Cricket West Indies CEO in October
Johnny Grave's tenure as Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive officer is set to end in October this year. Grave was in the position from February 2017 after a nine-year tenure as commercial director at the Professional Cricketers' Association [PCA] in England.
He took over the CWI chief executive officer role from Michael Muirhead and oversaw several prestigious ICC events in the West Indies.
In a CWI Press release, Grave said:
"It has been an absolute privilege to have been CEO of CWI since February 2017. Having just hosted a successful T20 World Cup and delivered significant surpluses for CWI for the third consecutive year, I do feel it is the right time for me and my family to seek a new challenge."
He added:
"I have received tremendous support from so many people since becoming CEO and I'd like to thank everyone, especially the staff and the players, particularly during the difficult pandemic, for their trust in me and their commitment to West Indies cricket."
"I have put everything into this role, and now is the right time for someone new with fresh energy to lead the organisation and continue this important work and build on the strong foundations that are now in place," concluded Graves in his statement.
Grave was at the helm during three World Cups - the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup, the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, and the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup. He was also the CEO of the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
CWI President hails Johnny Grave for incredible contributions
CWI President Kishore Shallow hailed Johnny Grave for his incredible tenure as the CEO, especially for the successful hosting of three World Cups.
Grave also made headlines when he requested the ICC to make Test cricket economically viable by working with the boards of the superpowers - India, England, and Australia.
"Johnny's efforts, particularly through challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as successfully hosting three World Cups including have made a lasting impact on CWI. Appreciably, the organisation has taken many positive strides during his tenure. A standout achievement is the acquisition and full ownership of the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), which is now our headquarters and home to our Men's and Women's Academies," said Kishore Shallow.
The CWI release also confirmed a 'comprehensive recruitment process to select the next CEO', the details of which will be announced shortly.