Logie Exits with Bitter Taste
Sun, Sep 26, '04
Gus Logie has formally confirmed his exit from the head coach position of the West Indies team.
"Well, this basically is my last tournament in charge. This was decided almost three-four months back. It is no secret that the West Indies Cricket Board is looking for a foreign coach and they have already spoken to a lot of people. Whoever comes in, I hope he gets a lot of support; certainly a lot more than what I was getting," Logie told Rediff.com.
"I had a two-year contract and that contract ends in June next year. I don't think we had the patience to wait for the results in the West Indies. We wanted instant results and if you don't get that then the knives are always going to be out for you," Logie added.
Logie said he was leaving the post with a bitter taste in his mouth. "I don't like the fact that somebody tells me that I will not be able to have the opportunity to contribute to this team anymore. I do not like the fact that the new coach will have the opportunity with more authority than I ever had. But Windies cricket is greater than all of us and I was willing to step aside."
Since taking over from Roger Harper in 2003, Logie's win-loss record in Tests stands at 4-13, with two of those wins coming against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
He did enjoy a record-breaking Test match win against Australia to avoid a series whitewash and followed up with a 1-0 home series win victory against Sri Lanka.
And, of course, he gets to walk away after yesterday's miraculous ICC Champions Trophy triumph, the team's first major one-day title in 25 years.
The WICB plans to install a new management structure that calls for distinct and discrete roles for the manager, coach, captain and selectors and provides for clear reporting lines and accountability.
The Head Coach would be on contract and his primary role would be to prepare the West Indies team for international competitions. He would also be a member of the selection panel with the casting vote and the principal authority on the selection of the final XI.
The WICB had long ago decided that Logie's passive personality -- he had begged off team selection duties and was loathe to verbal sparring -- was not a good fit for the new structure and instructed CEO Roger Brathwaite to search for a replacement.
Bennett King, the Aussie coach who embarrassed the WICB by turning down an offer to replace Roger Harper last year, is again considered a front-runner for the job.
The names of another pair of Australians -- Greg Chappell and Rodney Marsh -- are being whispered as possibilities for the job.
