CWI pays tribute to Charles Wilkin after KC dies at 77

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC): Cricket West Indies (CWI) has praised former attorney-at-law and King’s Counsel Charles Wilkin for the lasting mark he left on the game. Wilkin died in St Kitts on Saturday. He was 77.

An able athlete in his own right, he turned out for St Kitts at cricket and football. Away from the pitch, he headed the St Kitts and Nevis Local Organising Committee for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and authored the Wilkin Report, which later underpinned the Wehby Report.

CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow, in a statement released on Sunday, called Wilkin a “thoughtful servant of Caribbean civilization”.

“Charles Wilkin understood that, in the Caribbean, cricket is a part of our history, our identity and our understanding of ourselves. He also understood that institutions, like the game itself, must constantly be examined, strengthened and renewed if they are to serve future generations.

“It was in this spirit that he led the work which produced the Wilkin Report, laying the foundation for the subsequent Wehby Report, to which he was also a key contributor alongside the late Jamaican Senator Don Wehby. Their work represented a serious reflection on the future of West Indies cricket and the responsibility of those entrusted with its stewardship,” the statement read.

“Mr Wilkin’s contribution was rooted in a lifelong relationship with the game. He represented St Kitts in cricket, played for Cambridge University, the combined Leeward and Windward Islands team, and later played a leading role in the successful hosting of ICC Cricket World Cup matches in St Kitts and Nevis in 2007.

“His contribution reminds us that the strength of West Indies cricket depends not only on those who play the game, but also on those who dedicate their wisdom, experience and courage to ensuring that the game endures. His contribution to West Indies cricket and the wider Caribbean will not be forgotten,” Shallow added.