Logie To Coach Canada in World Cup
Sun, Dec 8, '02
Gus Logie is going to the World Cup. As the coach of Canada.
The former Trinidad and Tobago captain and West Indies middle order batsman is scheduled to join the Canadian team on January 10 in preparation for the ICC cricket World Cup in South Africa in February. According to Logie, the move has come about following an approach from the Canada Cricket Association to the regional authorities.
"They had asked the West Indies Board for my services for the World Cup," Logie said. "Canada is supposed to be under our purview as part of the (Cricket Council of the) Americas. Once they asked for the assistance, it was not a matter of refusing. It was a chance to help out our neighbours."
Logie, 42, has been working with West Indies teams since 1995. He has been the coach to the WI teams that played in the last three Under-19 World Cups in South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. On that last occasion earlier this year, West Indies reached the semifinals. He has also been the coach on West Indies 'A' team tours of Sri Lanka and England.
Asked how he viewed this appointment to a senior World Cup, Logie said: "It's a challenge like anything else. It's an opportunity for me as well to see how much imput I can make into the development of Canada's cricket. All-round, I see it as a challenge, but it's something I'm looking forward to."
However, questioned as to whether the Canada job would affect his role in Caribbean cricket, Logie said: "No it doesn't. Once the assignment is over, hopefully I'll have more experience. It's an opportunity to learn as much as I can."
He said the knowledge he gained at the World Cup should eventually help the West Indian youngsters under his care.
Logie's presence in South Africa will however mean that he will not be available to the West Indies 'B' team for the regional first-class tournament which begins in February.
"They may be looking at other coaches in the Caribbean to coach the West Indies 'B' team," he said. "They want to spread it around. It is an opportunity for somebody else in the Caribbean to have a chance."
Logie could be one of two former West Indies players to be coaching teams other than the West Indies at the World Cup tournament. Reports out of Bangladesh claim that current WI selector Gordon Greenidge is being wooed to take up his old job with that country's national team.
Greenidge is currently in Bangladesh doing television work on the One-day and Test series between the West Indies and Bangladesh.
Whatever the future and the World Cup may hold however, Logie who won a libel suit against the NBN network last week, is content with the present.
"It has take a load off my mind," he said of the successful suit. "I think I'll have a good Christmas in more ways than one."
* SOURCE: Trinidad Express.