'I Didn't Know of Benn's Ban' - Viv

The lack of communication and general confusion within the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has again come to the fore with chairman of the selectors Viv Richards claiming he did not know Sulieman Benn was being disciplined by the authorities in Barbados.

The West Indies selectors -- Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Joey Carew -- named Benn in its 30-man squad to prepare for next year's World Cup even though he was suspended by the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) for acts of indiscipline but Richards told cricket writer Tony Cozier he was not aware of Benn's ban.

Richards has been touring with the West Indies team in India and Bangladesh (he even jetted over to Canada for a fund-raiser) so maybe he can be excused for not following the news but what of his co-selectors? It is unpardonable that Joey Carew or Gordon Greenidge, who were both in the Caribbean when Benn's suspension was announced, went along with his World Cup squad selection even though he was not even eligible to play for Barbados.

CaribbeanCricket.com understands that officials within the BCA were livid that its suspension was ignored by the selectors and viewed Benn's selection as a slap in the face. The BCA complained to the WICB and the board was forced to issue a semi-explanation that his availability was being "monitored."

The BCA has arranged a course of professional counselling and mentoring for Benn following several acts of indiscipline on the West Indies 'A' team tour of the U.K. and Canada (he was fined for those indiscretions) and a public fistfight at a local club match in Barbados.

The Benn episode is not the only embarrassing episode for the WICB in recent weeks. Administration bungling led to the decision to expel Jamaican middle order batsman Marlon Samuels from the recent tour of India when it was clear the board's own guidelines did not warrant tour dismissal.

"We were advised whatever punitive measure was invoked had to be commensurate with the guidelines set out for discipline and this legal opinion was conveyed to the manager...For breaking curfew, it's a fine of 15 per cent of the match fee for the first offence, and for a second offence, on the same tour, it's expulsion. In view of this, the manager was advised he should write Samuels and inform him of this," Hall said at the time the Samuels expulsion decision was overturned.

Why the tour committee -- including manager Ricky Skerritt, captain Carl Hooper and coach Roger Harper -- did not know of the WICB guidelines is another matter altogether.

Another administrative gaffe led to the board overturning a fine against Barbados all-rounder Vasbert Drakes. The Board decided to rescind the fine after it discovered that due process had not been followed at the disciplinary hearing that imposed the penalty.

Both Drakes and Barbados manager Johnny Gayle attended the meeting, but under the Board's Code of conduct Barbados captain Courtney Browne should also have been given notice of the hearing.

Former WICB CEO Gregory Shillingford was fired for alleged non-performance and sources say the embarrassing administrative bungling during his tenure hastened his demise.

Can we expect more heads to roll? Only time will tell.