Sir Viv's Off to a Bad Start

It has been some time now that Sir Vivian Richards has been selected as the Chairman of the Selectors of the West Indies Cricket Board. For many, he was a great cricketer who displayed a distinct penchant for disregarding the reputation of bowlers of any ilk during his extensive playing career.

There was no bowler anywhere in the world that enjoyed the sight of Viv walking down the steps of the Pavilion towards the wicket. He played the game hard, whether he was batting, bowling or fielding. But, we were also aware that Viv did not have the best of relations with his own players.

During his tenure with the Combined Islands cricket team, Viv was often cited as someone who was very gifted but who seemed to think that the only inspiration he could give to his fellow players was his own example.

We have become all too familiar with a Vivian Richards who would be eager to respond to what he perceived to be attacks on himself. Some time ago, the WICB had called Viv into service as an assistant coach of the West Indies team.

Later, in the search for a coach of the team, Viv was apparently left completely out of the picture. Suddenly, as the WICB was approaching its meeting to determine on the new panel of Selectors, we heard across the region, the name of Viv Richards as the lead contender for the position of Chairman.

One Barbados newspaper devoted almost an entire page to the discussion and cited Viv as the man most likely to land the position.

It seemed a foregone conclusion that Vincentian Michael Findlay, who had served in the position of Chairman for two terms, a total of four years, was being given the boot.

One would have thought that given the criticisms levelled at the Selectors over the past two years the entire Panel would have been thrown out. Unfortunately, Joey Carew of Trinidad and Tobago, somehow managed to get yet another lien on membership of the Panel

Cameron Cuffy
Cameron Cuffy was injured and had to undergo treatment. Knowing that the ICC Trophy Tournament was pending, Cuffy sought to have the treatment well enough in advance to allow time for recovery prior to the tour.

Cuffy therefore only played in the latter part of the Red Stripe Bowl preliminary matches. At the end of the St Vincent and The Grenadines foray at the Tournament, Cuffy returned home with the understanding that he was on the team to travel to Sri Lanka for the ICC trophy competition.

While at home, it was reported out of Barbados that Vasbert Drakes, a member of the Barbadian team had been selected to the West Indies team to Sri Lanka. He was the replacement for Cameron Cuffy.

Interestingly, the Bajan media had made contact with Drakes and he was able to confirm that he had been informed of his selection, a decision with which he was utterly pleased.

Drakes was in an advanced state of preparation to travel with the team Cuffy was here at home, not having been informed that he had been replaced. It appears that an attempt was made to contact the WICB to get the matter clarified.

Reports indicate that that at the time that this country made contact with the WICB, the latter's representative did not at the time have any indication that were changes to the original team named earlier.

Thus it was that the WICB, at that time, had not been informed that Drakes was due to travel consequently, had made no arrangements for his travel. Cuffy was still on the list of travellers.

It does appear that it was not long after this contact had been established that Sir Viv delivered his changes to the team for the WICB to deal with.

But then the plot thickened. The noises began with the people who love cricket here. The Windwards Board took far too long to respond to the disaster that had taken place.

No sooner had the disgust of the Vincentians had been aired at the regional level, the decision was taken to add Cuffy to the team that would be travelling to India following the ICC Trophy competition.

Madness
The decision by Sir Viv and his band of Selectors have painted them all in a very bad light. This is their first major faux pas and it has come too early in their tenure.

Surely the lines of communication should have been much clearer than what we have witnessed. It is absurd that the Selectors could have made their decision without any form of consultation with Cameron Cuffy.

I find it simply amazing that that the Selectors could, in the aftermath of its ridiculous procedure, claim that they had allowed Cuffy to rest because they knew that he had been receiving treatment for the injury.

It seems truly ridiculous that the Selectors did not even ask that a fitness test be done with the same Cuffy before arriving at their decision. It seems amazing too that none of them appeared to have asked Cuffy anything about his injury.

One wonders then, what was the basis on which Viv and the others determined the fitness level of Cameron Cuffy. It is even more disturbing to learn of the Selectors' decision to recall Cuffy to the team for the Indian tour without seeking to determine whether or not he is fit by having him undergo a fitness test of some sort.

If the Selectors in their wisdom have determined that Cuffy was not going to be fit enough to go to Sri Lanka without having even so much as spoken to him on the matter. I suppose we can conclude that they are consistent by selecting him for the tour immediately following, without consultation.

The decision making process can only be deemed putrid. The situation grows much worse if only because we have subsequently learnt that the teams' selection was without the customary involvement of both the coach and the team captain.

Both Roger Harper and Carl Hooper have made statements to the effect that they have not involved in the process. In all of the years that Mike Findlay headed the Selectors Panel there never was any recorded instance of such insensitivity to the players and such blatant disregard for the psychological impact such a decision making process can have on a player like Cameron Cuffy.

Additionally, Mike Findlay followed the letter of the law in respect of full involvement of the coach and the captain. Viv has definitely gotten off to a bad start.

At the back of all of this discussion on what has happened must be the big question of whether or not the WICB does in fact have a policy in respect of the selection of teams; and whether or not such a policy speaks to the procedure for informing those not selected.

The WICB
I have repeatedly maintained that the WICB is not at all well-organised nor well-administered. I believe that it is very unfortunate that we have to be like this. There appears to be no real leadership in the WICB of the type that recognises slipshod work and can deal with it in an appropriate manner.

It does not matter what Viv has done for the West Indies in the past .If he is engaging in an approach to the job of Chairman of the Selectors Panel that is inimical to the best interest of the game then appropriate action must be taken and quickly.

One has to nip this type of conduct in the bud. One is hard pressed to understand why it is that the WICB did not readily own up to the autocratic decision making by Viv and deal with it expeditiously.

The WICB remains a weak institution with leaders who have been obviously who have been obviously around to long and who fail to acknowledge that they are ill disposed to taking disciplinary action where it is needed.

I believe too, that the Windwards Board and the Cricket fraternity in St Vincent and the Grenadines must do better. If we believe that we do have quality players we must make demands on the selectors to pick them.

We cannot afford to be squeamish on this matter. It is now clearer than ever that if we do not look appropriately after the interests of our own players no one would undertake to do it for us.

The time has come for the SVG Cricket Association and the Windwards Board to stand up behind their players and make appropriate demands on their behalf.