King Bennett the Missing
Sat, Feb 12, '05
If evidence were needed that this year's regional first-class competition has flirted dangerously close to irrelevance, along comes Bennett King with confirmation.
The head coach, who holds the all-important casting vote on the selection panel, has not yet returned to the Caribbean after the senior team's poor showing in the VB one-day series. So, here we have the sixth round of the Carib Beer Cup starting and the new West Indies cricket czar is not around.
When I asked the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to explain King's absence, I got the standard one-liner from spokesman Leonard Robertson: "mr king is due back in the caribbean on the weekend."
Of course, that was Robertson's favourite line when Darren Holder extended his vacation and abdicated his responsibilities as WICB coaching manager. As it turned out, Robertson was in the dark about Holder's whereabouts. We can only hope he gets it right this time.
It's not the first time a chief selector has gone missing in the midst of our first class season. Last March, Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge chose to play a fete match in Grenada while the region's top prospects were involved in two matches in Barbados (the Carib Beer finals and Carib Beer XI v England).
Back then, the hypocrisy was startling. On one hand, Richards and Greenidge were publicly demanding a high level of commitment from the players only to blow off their own obligations as selectors.
Now, with Bennett King, it is equally offensive to have the cricket czar taking time off in the midst of a first class season , especially considering his lack of familiarity with the region's players. What better opportunity could there be to establish working relationships with the individual team coaches and managers, and get their insight on their players?
King has enjoyed a free pass from the Caribbean media. The region's cricket writers have applauded him for demanding a stronger work ethic from the players. King's carefully crafted image as a hard taskmaster has been rammed down our throats.
If the team's on-field performance doesn't improve soon, the long hot-sun practices will mean nothing.
At a time when the WICB is supposedly broke, a lot of money has been budgeted for Bennett King and his staff. Someone needs to explain why the head coach (and his assistant) chose to remain in Australia and not return with the team.
Bennett King has a responsibility to the region. He should have been on the first flight back and liaising with the selection panel to get first-hand reports on the first five rounds of the Carib Beer competition.
He should have been present at one of the three games this weekend, getting a feel for the level of play to determine whether the feeder program fit into his long-term vision.
The lack of urgency on Bennett King's part is offensive and unacceptable. Cricket fans should be demanding answers.