High Court Halts Leeward Islands Cricket Presidential Election Amid Transparency and Term-Limit Concerns

Two senior Caribbean cricket officials say the latest urgent court action brought against the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) was necessary after former West Indies international cricketer Kieran Powell was prevented from standing as a candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections for the governing body.

The Antigua and Barbuda High Court granted an interim injunction late on July 10th 2026, temporarily suspending the LICB presidential election process, following urgent concerns raised on behalf of the Anguilla Cricket Association and President of the Nevis Cricket Association Mr. Carlisle Powell, over transparency, fairness and constitutional compliance ahead of the scheduled vote.

The order also restrained the LICB from proceeding with its scheduled Annual General Meeting and presidential election on 11th July while the legal challenge is heard. The Court has listed the first inter partes hearing for 22nd  July 2026 and has given the LICB until 16th July 2026 to file any affidavit in response.

Concerned regional board members and stakeholders within Leeward Islands cricket say the injunction was not sought to disrupt cricket administration, but to protect the integrity of the process before any final election outcome is declared.

At the centre of the dispute is the omission of former West Indies international opener Kieran Powell from the circulated nominee list, despite being understood by supporting regional cricketing associations to have secured the necessary nominations for the presidency. Concerns have also been raised regarding the omission of Vice-Presidential candidate Dr. Timothy Hodge and alleged delays linked to election correspondence reportedly being sent to an outdated email account.

Senior Leeward Islands cricket administrators say the wider concern is no longer simply procedural. They point to unresolved questions surrounding the extended tenure of incumbent President Mr. Enoch Lewis, who is understood to have held office for approximately a decade or more, notwithstanding constitutional material presently relied upon that appears to prescribe a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms. Questions have also been raised over how and when the latest constitutional amendments were adopted, circulated and ratified.

Officials say the Court’s intervention reflects the seriousness of the issues now before it. The injunction is interim in nature and the substantive matters remain to be determined, but concerned stakeholders maintain that no election result should be confirmed while material questions over nominations, notice, eligibility and constitutional process remain unresolved.

They add that the Leeward Islands have produced world-class cricketing talent and that the process for selecting the region’s top cricket administrator must reflect the same standards of fairness, discipline and credibility expected on the field of play.

Representatives connected with the application have also stated that, despite repeated attempts to effect personal service of the interim order on Mr. Lewis, they had not yet been reached at the time of issuing this statement.

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