Part 3: What Happened in South Africa?

Wed, Mar 10, '04

This is the final section of our exclusive republication of minutes of meetings of the WICB's cricket committee (playing and development). This section comes from committee's January meeting, held at the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua.

Among the issues being brainstormed: The poor performance of the West Indies team in South Africa; the absence of leadership from Lara, Logie and Skerritt; and the fitness delinquency of the senior West Indies team.

Selection Process on Overseas Tours of the West Indies Team.
The Chairman reported that at the meetings in Antigua on November 25 and 26, 2003, Mr. Griffith and the Chairman of the Cricket Committee (Playing and Development) also discussed the rationale for Committee's recommendation that a member of the Senior Selection Committee accompanies the West Indies team on its tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa; that Mr. Griffith undertook to discuss the matter further with Chairman of the Selection Committee, Sir Vivian Richards, and that in fact did have a luncheon meeting with Sir Vivian on 26th November, 2003.

He noted that Sir Vivian was currently in South Africa in his capacity as Chairman of the Selection Committee. Mr. Griffith revealed that this was for the 2003/04 Tour of South Africa only, but that the WICB would be looking at an overall policy on the matter.

Concerns over the level of Coaches attached to National Teams.
The Committee's recommendation "that all cricket coaches appointed to National Teams must be chosen from those recognised by the West Indies Cricket Board? has been forwarded to the Board for its consideration. It was reported that the WICB had accepted the recommendation.

Concerns over the use of sub-standard grounds for Regional Tournaments.
The concerns that the use of sub-standard grounds could lead to a further deterioration of West Indies cricket has been drawn to the attention of the Board.

Mr. Carew felt that Jamaica ought to be complimented for introducing new venues for the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl 1-Day Tournament. He was of the view that the scores in the tournament were not high because the grass on the field was high. He however noted that the overall standard of cricket was low. He suggested that serious consideration should be given to the participation of Canada in the Tournament.

Mr. Hendriks emphasised the need to play regional tournaments on grounds that were of a high standard. He explained that the Jamaica Cricket Association experienced difficulties to have one match of the Red Stripe 1-day Tournament played at Sabina Park, and questioned the right of sponsors to determine the venues.

Mr. Griffith noted that facilities of a high standard were required for hosting ICC Tournaments and that it was therefore expected that the facilities for domestic competitions should be based on the ICC guidelines, and should not be driven solely by the demands of sponsors. He pointed out that it was the responsibility of the WICB?s Grounds Committee to examine the situation, and promised to have the issues addressed.

Mr. Holder raised concerns about the small and unsuitable dressing room facilities at the Botanic Gardens Ground in Dominica. Mr. Barthley explained that he had that morning (13th January, 2004) asked the Chairman of the Grounds Committee, Mr. Carlise Powell to inspect the Botanic Gardens ground and to report on its suitability. Mr. Barthley reported that he had also had discussions on the matter with the President of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control, Mr. Lennox John.

Mr. Hendriks also highlighted the poor standard of hotel accommodation in some territories, especially in areas outside of Georgetown, Guyana.

Dr. Sepeersaud spoke to the need for minimum standards for cricket grounds including pitches, and hotels. He was of the view that there should be a WICB process regarding inspection of facilities which must be followed by a report upon which the decision to award a match to a venue should be based. Mr. Barthley disclosed that he was being assisted by Mr. Stephen Camacho in developing a Hosting Manual for all levels of the game in the region.

Sir Everton Weekes felt that when the economies of the region became stronger the sponsors would be more receptive to a regional first class season with return matches. Mr. Hendriks believed it would also be a wise move to organise the regional season to coincide with an international home series.

Mr. Griffith pointed out that in order that recommendations receive the proper attention of the WICB, they must be forwarded in advance. He re-emphasised that it was the function of the management of the WICB to bring meaningful Discussion Papers to the Cricket Committee (Playing & Development) for its consideration and recommendation.

The 2004 Bangladesh Tour of the West Indies.
The fixtures have been finalised. Guyana is listed to host the 1st Test, with the 2nd Test scheduled for St Lucia.

Mr. Barthley revealed that the fixtures for the Bangladesh vs. West Indies Home Series had not to date been finalised although a fixtures had been published without authorisation. He disclosed that Guyana could not host the proposed matches because the scheduled dates were in the country's rainy season; that the Cayman Islands were no longer interested, and that although the Bermuda Cricket Association had initially said no, the Bermuda government was giving the matter some consideration. Mr. Barthley explained that the current proposal was to confine the Bangladesh Series to the St Vincent and the Grenadines (two One-Day Internationals), Grenada (a One Day International, a 3-day match and the 1st Test match) and St Lucia (2nd Test match).

Mr. Griffith pointed out that the WICB stood to lose US$2.2 million on the series, and that discussions were still taking place to determine whether television coverage should be geared for officials only because it was in effect a secondary series. He explained the series would be the first for which SKY and not TWI would be providing the television coverage; that in October, 2003 the WICB had initiated discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board about the possibility of playing the series in Bangladesh but that there had to date been no response. He believed that it was unlikely that the proposal would be accepted, but noted that the fixtures had not been signed off to date. Mr. Griffith emphasised the need to minimise the loss on the series.

Mr. Barthley put forward Management's proposals for the fixtures to be confined to St Vincent, Grenada and St Lucia. The biggest problem was Grenada having sufficient time to prepare the Test match pitch by also hosting a 3-day practice match, and a One Day International. He reported that the fixtures were expected to be finalised with Bangladesh by the end of January, 2004, and that a request would be made to the ICC to allow the Test pitch to be covered with artificial turf during the 3-day match.

Relationship between WIPA and WICB.
The relationship between WIPA and the WICB is quite good. Apparently there was a misunderstanding between WIPA and the WICB's Development Unit over the scheduling of the development programmes. A meeting is being arranged between WIPA?s President and C.E.O, Mr. Dinanath Ramnarine, Chairman of WICB's Cricket Committee, Mr. Michael Findlay, Chief Cricket Development Officer, Dr. Michael Seepersaud and WIPA?s Mr. Roland Holder to reach agreement on the dates for the development courses.

Mr. Griffith reported that the WICB and WIPA were scheduled to meet between 19th and 22nd January, 2004 to try to reach agreement on mutual areas of collaboration, as well as to start discussions on a Collective Agreement, and to deal with issues related to the Player Retainer Contract. It was therefore agreed to postpone the proposed meeting between Mr. Ramnarine, Mr. Findlay, Dr. Seepersaud and Mr. Holder until after the negotiations.

Increased in the Per Diem for WICB's Junior Selectors.
The Cricket Committee?s recommendation to increase the per diem to US150.00 per day effective 1st January, 2003 has been forwarded to the Board for its consideration.

THE 2004 CARIB BEER REGIONAL TOURNAMENT.
Concerns were raised about the quality of the pitch at the Edgar Gilbert Park in St Kitts, venue for the match between the West Indies "B" and Kenya in which the scores were very low.

Mr. Barthley reported that most of the travel for the Tournament was being done by LIAT and Caribbean Star, and that as a consequence of making travel bookings directly with the airlines instead of through a Travel Agent, savings of approximately US$18,000.00 had been realised. He explained that they were able to resolve the few teething problems which were encountered at the start of the tournament, and that the difficulties with luggage which had plagued the tournament in the past had been dealt with and resolved very early.

He disclosed that it had been decided to abandon an earlier proposal to play a match in the United States. Mr. Barthley noted that with Kenya participating in the tournament, all options were being considered in the event that they qualified for the final, and that consideration was also being given to play the U.W.I vs. England tour match at the U.W.I ground at Cave Hill, Barbados. Mr. Griffith reminded that management ought to be pro-active in their proposals.

Mr. Hendriks pointed out that the Playing Conditions for the Tournament should be presented to the Cricket Committee (Playing & Development) for its review and endorsement. It was agreed that in future, all matters related to the Regional First Class Season should be presented to the Committee at its meeting in June of the year preceding the Tournament.

Mrs. Browne-John raised the situation of the sponsors dictating which grounds should be used for matches of tournaments. Mr. Griffith explained that sponsors did not have the right to determine venues, but that the final decision is taken after consultation between the WICB and sponsors. He assured the Committee that the situation was being closely monitored, and that it would be placed on the Agenda for a meeting of the WICB Marketing Committee scheduled for January, 2004.

Dr. Seepersaud expressed the view that it was important that Umpires in the Tournament report any suspect bowling action to the WICB's Bowling Review Committee. He explained the process which persons with suspect bowling action must undergo at the domestic (West Indies) level, and outlined the ICC process.

Dr. Seepersaud reported that fast bowler Mervin Mathews of Dominica, a member of the West Indies Under-19 team for the 2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh had a suspect bowling action. Dr. Seepersaud projected on the screen, computerised still and action shots of Mathews' bowling action which he reported had already been drawn to the attention of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control and the Dominica Cricket Association with a request that a remedial programme be conducted. The meeting discussed the implications of a player with a known suspect bowling action being selected by the WICB to participate in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. It was however decided that Mr. Mathews would proceed to the Tournament.

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF JERMAINE LAWSON?S BOWLING ACTION.
Dr. Seepersaud reported that the analysis showed that Jermaine Lawson's bowling arm still had a bend of fourteen (14) degrees, four above the allowable limit. He pointed out that his greatest concern about Lawson was not necessarily his action which he believed would be corrected with time, but persistent back pain which he was experiencing. He hoped that it would be possible to hold a meeting at a venue where Lawson was playing in order that he could be seen by members of the Committee.

Mr. Hendriks expressed another concern ? on two occasions, Lawson had failed to keep appointments with the Specialist, Dr. Rose who was dealing with the injury. He reported that another appointment had been made for January 21, 2004. He also disclosed that Jerome Taylor and Marlon Samuels did not turn up for their appointments. Mr. Hendriks read an E-Mail dated 9th January, 2004 from Dr. Akshai Mansingh who detailed the problems he was encountering with the three cricketers. Mr. Hendriks undertook that on his return to Jamaica he would meet with the cricketers and "put the cards on the table."

Mr. Carew suggested mandatory fitness tests on players prior to the selection of West Indies teams, and the automatic disqualification from selection of anyone who failed the test.

OBSERVATIONS ON 2003/04 WEST INDIES TOURS OF ZIMBABWE AND SOUTH AFRICA.
The Chairman read part of Tony Cozier's article which appeared in the Express Newspaper of 4th January, 2004, and which highlighted several areas of weaknesses in the performance and management of the team ? poor fielding and catching, as well as practice and pre-play warm-up sessions which did not appear to have any real purpose, meaning or intensity.

Mr. Carew indicated that at the end of the 2003 West Indies vs. Sri Lanka Series he was optimistic that West Indies cricket had shown positive signs of recovery, but that after watching the poor standard in the Red Stripe Bowl he was concerned that the team may not do well on the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. He noted that training camps were useless unless they were organised and conducted in a meaningful way.

Sir Everton Weekes expressed concerns about the overall state of West Indies cricket. He pointed to lack of respect and discipline on the part of the cricketers, as well as their failure to read as much as they could about the game. While blaming the team's management for some of the problems being encountered, Sir Everton acknowledged that players being unable to read or failing to read and "kids having kids" were also contributing factors. He felt that the players did not appreciate the legacy of West Indies cricket, and advocated management and the WICB would have to adopt a sterner approach to deal with its cricketers.

Mr. Hendriks believed that the players were in a comfort zone and therefore were not prepared to push themselves anymore. He questioned the wisdom of paying full tour fees to players who were forced to return home because of injury; the fitness of players; and the competence of the trainer.

Mr. Hendriks pointed to reports out of South Africa about a lackadaisical attitude to training and practice; of players wanting to put in extra practice and being told by the Manager that they could not do so; of ineffective management; of abysmal discipline; of players seen partying until 3.00 a.m on test match days and the manager disclaiming any interest in the matter; and of fast bowling coach, Mr. Kenny Benjamin being instructed by the captain to have nothing to do with fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Ravi Rampaul. Mr. Hendriks called for drastic measures to be employed to insist on serious training and practice sessions and for players to maintain a high level of fitness out of season. He felt that the time had come for serious stock-taking and that it should start at the top.

The meeting examined the structure of the team's management in the wake of reports that there were clashes between the coaches and the Manager over areas of responsibility.

Mr. Davis noted that whenever there was failure in any programme, there was need to have a close look at the leadership. He pointed out that the players were like children who required a great measure of control. He expressed surprise that so far there had been no word from the trainer about the numerous injuries. Mr. Davis's conclusions were that the coach and trainer were out of their depth; that the Manager had no control over the players; that the captain, who should be helping the coach with the training programme did not appear to be doing so; that the Manager was poor; and that the Coach was weak. He believed that a serious search was required for the right personnel who could lead from the top and not allow themselves to be intimidated by the players. Mr. Davis expressed the fear that West Indies cricket could deteriorate further if the right personnel were not employed to manage the team.

Mr. Holder pointed out that in the absence of a history of the injuries of each player, the Trainer could not be blamed for all the injuries sustained on the tour.

Dr. Seepersaud disclosed that the Trainer had a poor record of accountability. He reported that the Trainer had failed to submit a report on a recent training course which he had conducted in the territories where he had unilaterally cancelled the Dominica leg because only seven participants had registered, and had also cancelled the Jamaica leg because his Liaison Officer was late to collect him at the hotel on the morning of the course.

Dr. Seepersaud believed that most of the problems with fitness and performance stemmed from the team?s preparations for a tour. He noted that there was no structure and continuity to the camps, and that no one paid any attention to improve on the original concept. He noted that a number of the young players appeared to adopt the bad habits of the senior players who were not setting a good example for the youngsters to emulate. Dr. Seepersaud felt that a lot of the problems arose because of the tug-o-war between the management personnel, and that the problem was filtering down to the team. Mr. Davis pointed out that any effective management required the strong support of the WICB.

Mr. Barthley noted that most of the players who have had fitness problems on tour had shown a greater degree of fitness at the pre-tour training camp. He confirmed that the camp lacked discipline, seriousness and intensity. He reported that the psychological lecturers appeared to have made some impact on the players; confirmed Dr. Seepersaud's observations about the influence the senior players had on the younger players; and pointed to the need to emphasise the value of proper nutrition and the importance of sound personnel development.

Mr. Barthley revealed that the team was provided with 25 video tapes (PAL System) on the South Africa vs. England Series together with a multi-system (PAL and NTSC) video cassette recorder. He also explained how the error was made in the announcement of the West Indies One Day International Squad for the Series in South Africa.

Mrs. Browne-John expressed concern over remarks about who on the team's management should be replaced, and felt that the emphasis should be placed on finding a path to improve West Indies cricket.

Mr. Roberts thought that there were bigger problems in the domestic level of West Indies cricket than there were in South Africa. Mr. Holder pointed to a greater emphasis on remedial camps.