l KINGSTON

A leading financier in Trinidad and Tobago is tipped to become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), media reports in Jamaica have indicated.

Ravi Rambarran, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Sagicor International at Sagicor Financial is set to replace Ernest Hilaire who is leaving the job at the end of September, TV J has reported.

Rambarran, a native of T&T, has a bachelors and a master's degree and has also worked in top positions in several Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Bahamas and Cayman Islands.

The WICB is expected to make an official announcement early next week but TV J has quoted its sources as saying negotiations are still at a cross roads as Rambarran's salary package remains a stumbling block.

The WICB is said to be in negotiations with Sagicor to try and have the company offset part of the cost in meeting Rambarran's salary package in a deal that could be mutually beneficial.

The board was expected to meet yesterday to ratify the recommendations for the new CEO to be announced.

Two Jamaicans were reportedly in the running for the post, current chairman of the supreme ventures foundation Dr David Mcbean and former Grace Kennedy CEO Bryan Goldson.

Dr Hilaire, who joined the WICB as CEO in October of 2009, is leaving to take up a diplomatic post as St Lucia ambassador in London, England, starting on October 1.

A recent statement from the WICB announcing the recruitment process had said that the new CEO will be engaged in an "appropriate capacity" before Dr Hilaire finally demits office.

Dr Hilaire has named as his most rewarding moment in his three-year tenure at the helm of West Indies cricket, the launch of the Sagicor High Performance Centre.

However, his tenure has been marred by turbulence including public spats with former West Indies Players Association (WIPA) chief Dinanath Ramnarine and contentious handling of issues relating to senior players, most notably Chris Gayle. –CMC