Windies sack four cricket panel members

Port of Spain—The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has sacked four members of its committee, all former Test players, for not being physically available for meetings at short notice. The step was taken with the larger goal of taking the West Indies to the pinnacle of the game, an official said.
WICB president Julian Hunte has informed Ian Bishop, Andy Roberts, Courtney Walsh and Desmond Haynes about their removal. Jackie Hendriks, Mike Findlay, Joel Garner and Derrick Parry are the new appointees.
Hendriks and Mike Findlay have previously headed the committee. “We need the committee to meet face-to-face frequently to deal with the many issues confronting us and to develop the blueprint for the future,” Hunte said, giving the reason for the removal of the members.
“The core of the committee must be available and accessible and ready to meet in the Caribbean at short notice. Teleconferences are fine, but right now they do not serve our best interests.”
Committee chairman Clive Lloyd, a non-executive WICB director and deputy chairman, and Trinidand Tobago Cricket Board president Deryck Murray were retained.
“Our Strategic Plan, now being drafted, is based on our goal, our determination really, to re-establish the West Indies at the pinnacle of world cricket. Whatever is in harmony with that goal will be kept,” said Hunte in a statement.
“Anything in our Strategic Plan that does not contribute to the development of West Indies cricket will not be considered.”
Hunte pointed out that the cricket committee has to be at the centre of WICB plans, policies and programmes for the game, not just playing and player aspects but in terms of its development.
“That is why we re-thought what we wanted from the committee and how it should operate. We kept Clive Lloyd, although he is in South Africa. But he will have other options later — Deryck Murray as deputy chairman is in Trinidad and the other core members are in Barbados, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Nevis,” he said.
Hunte said that the four axed members would remain as special advisers and they could also attend the meetings. Roberts, who remains a member of the selection panel, felt that WICB’s “logistical problems” were responsible for the late notices for meetings.
The West Indies were a force in the 1970s and 1980s and won the World Cup in 1975, when it was launched, and 1979 under Lloyd’s leadership before Kapil Dev’s India ruined their party in 1983.
After the retirement of Lloyd and the members of the his world-beating team, like Viv Rcihards, Gordon Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Garner, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Murray, the West Indies fell apart. They are currently almost at the bottom of the ladder in both Test and one-day cricket.—Agencies