Team Unity? What's That?

Thu, Oct 27, '05

Tony Cozier brings a unique insight to the state of relations between the West Indies players, which is being spun by the team's PR man Imran Khan as happier than the kids in a toy store.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan are just two players who have publicly maintained -- via carefully worded press releases -- that the team environment is harmonious, but Brian Lara has come and blown that theory out of the water.

According to Cozier, Lara told Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock of the difficulties in captaining squads consisting of men from varying countries and has said that when the West Indies squad arrived in Brisbane the Jamaicans stuck with the Jamaicans, the Guyanese with the Guyanese, etc., and so on.

Media Watch is begging for a moratorium on press releases from Imran Khan using quotes from players that they can't repeat, even if you put it in writing in front of them...

In the Barbados Nation, Philip Spooner and Haydn Gill were among the first to break the news of Barbados captain Courtney Browne's retirement from first class cricket.

Browne decided to call it quits to make room in the Barbados side for up and coming players. Having spoken about the decision with the wicket keeper, chairman of selectors Joel Garner said, "Courtney was an outstanding leader and he worked well with the other players. It's a tough spot to fill."

In another Spooner piece, it is revealed that 30 players who are on the radar for selection to the Carib Beer Series squad will start camp bright and early at 5.30am on Thursday.

Barbados coach Hendy Springer says the camp is scheduled to run until Friday of next week and that the absence of Courtney Browne will be felt.

Naz Yacoob's coverage of pre-election events in Trinidad & Tobago continues, with his latest piece for the Trinidad Guardian focused on women?s involvement.

Anne Browne-John and Gayle Daniel-Worrell are siding with the T&T Cricket Board, whilst Deryck Murray?s "Friends of Cricket" finds support in former national women?s hockey captain Joycelyn Opadeyi.

Yacoob also writes that Ellis Lewis is tipped to take over from Alloy Lequay as chief executive officer.

The Trinidad Express reports that South East Zone Chairman Azim Bassarath is quietly confident that "Friends of Cricket" will be successful at the election, having come out on top in both the National Cricket League club and Super League elections.

According to the Guyana Chronicle, work on Guyana?s World Cup 2007 cricket stadium will be accelerated following an inspection of the development on Monday.

Geoffrey Abdullah, Quantity Surveyor of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, was satisfied with the progress to date but Walter Willis, technical adviser in the Ministry of Public Works says that as work is 5 percent behind schedule, the pace will have to pick up.

Independence Cricket Fest, which takes place in Antigua this weekend, has been scaled down according to a report in the Antigua Sun. Three teams have withdrawn from the inaugural event.

Richie Richardson, chief executive of the Antigua & Barbuda Sports Tourism Alliance that is organising the event says that Jamaica, Guyana and a West Indies Select XI have been forced out of the event due to lack of sponsorship.

WindiesCricket.com reports that the Australians are looking at West Indies pacemen Daren Powell, Jermaine Lawson and Tino Best with green-eyed envy.

They are said to be conscious of the dangers of falling into a slump, and are concerned with their lack of up and coming fast bowlers.

Queensland and Australia player James Hopes is the second Aussie cricketer this week speak glowingly about the work of West Indies coach Bennett King.

In a Dan Koch article, Hopes echoes Shane Watson?s sentiments in saying that King was instrumental in his own development as a player, and that he certainly ranks among the best coaches in world cricket right now.