West Indies are currently on the tour of India, with the T20I series levelled at 2-2 after Shai Hope's stunning century in the fourth match in Hyderabad. While the BCCI are set to generate millions in revenue from the two white-ball series, West Indies stand to gain nothing financially from it.
Speaking with Anjali Doshi on The Scoop, Dehring shed light on the recent financial crisis that saw CWI introduce pay cuts, while also explaining one of the major factors behind their struggles over the years.
"West Indies cricket receives nothing in this case, because the series is being played in India," said Dehring. "A series that could generate $20 million to $30 million in India brings West Indies cricket no revenue."
"To understand how this happened, you have to go back to 1997," he added. "I was fortunate, or unfortunate, to be around when the ICC member countries voted to change the financial model that underpinned world cricket. Until then, West Indies was a very attractive team, and everybody wanted us to tour. We would receive a touring fee, which was often worth more than we could earn by hosting a series in the Caribbean."
Prior to this change, the visiting teams had to offer the touring teams a guaranteed cut of the revenue. In 1997, nine out 10 ICC member countries voted in favour of a new model, under which the hosting nation could keep 100% of the revenue generated from the broadcasting rights of bilateral cricket.
"That meant India could retain the revenues generated by a population of one and a half billion people, while West Indies could retain whatever revenues we could generate in Antigua, with its population of around 100,000, or St Kitts, with around 30,000," Dehring continued.
"It was palpably unfair. We were outvoted nine to one by the ICC member countries. At the time, I said that this decision had effectively signed the demise of West Indies cricket because it took away our main source of income," he added.
Aldo read: Shai Hope on how pay cuts could put off young West Indian players
As a result of this massive disparity in revenue, West Indies cricket has been in constant turmoil for the past two decades. Recently, the board had to cut player fees by 25% for international players, while also reducing the retainers contract duration for domestic players to seven months, and suspending domestic competitions.
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