Succession Planning and the WICB

In most organizations of the modern era, succession planning is seen as an integral part of business operations. Succession planning allows for continuity and training of new leaders for the future.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), in a move viewed by many as a take charge approach, has appointed Shivnarine Chanderpaul captain of the West Indies team for the current series against South Africa and the upcoming tour of Pakistan. Regardless of one?s view of this action by the Board, it can be safe to assume that this will be the situation for the foreseeable future. The success of such a move will be revealed in time.

If succession planning is about the future, then one cannot help wonder what thought process informed the decision to retain Courtney Browne as Chanderpaul?s deputy. Browne, hailed as arguably the best captain in the region as evidenced by Barbados? success in the first-class competition, does not represent the future. For all his leadership prowess, he is more widely remembered as the man who dropped Steve Waugh in 1995 and, in the minds of many, ?dropped? the Sir Frank Worrel Trophy.

It is not enough to just second guess the Board?s selection, but let us examine the alternatives. We need to identify men who are more deserving and who represent the long-term development of our cricket.

The remainder of this article is an attempt to identify other candidates who are deemed to be more suitable than Browne who, in my opinion, must and should be an interim position until the current impasse is settled. I fully expect that, before long, Browne will be relieved of this position.

Any prospect for leadership of the West Indies team must be an individual who can command a place in the team, another factor that renders Browne?s position tenuous at best. This prerequisite, as it were, has rendered a few others such as Sylvester Joseph, Daren Ganga and Tamar Lambert ineligible as least in the near future. Of the current players, three of the young brigade spring to mind. They are Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle.

Of the three, Wavell Hinds has to be seen as the leading contender. Outside of his involvement in the West Indies Players? Association (WIPA), Hinds has not established himself as a permanent member of the team. He was appointed vice-captain for the tour to Bangladesh and promptly fell out of the running thereafter. To many, Hinds? performance has been too inconsistent and he is seen as an average player at best. Dubbed the ?Phoenix? by his fans he has shown heart and guts in delivering on the numerous occasions when it seems his career is just about dead and buried. To his credit, he is also seen as a good team man and one who gives his all to the game of cricket. His double century in the first Test could be the catalyst that will ensure he becomes a fixture in the West Indies team for a long time to come.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was seen as the heir apparent to Lara until he was suddenly replaced as vice-captain for the VB Series in Australia. Anointed future captain of the West Indies after the World Cup 2003, he now finds himself in a situation where he must now work hard to regain the confidence and trust of the selection panel. His short tenure as vice-captain was moderately successful and should he get it right, there is no reason why he shouldn?t be considered for the post again. However, it may be too soon to saddle him with this responsibility again, as it cannot be easy for him to accept such a role knowing full well that hew as relieved of his position for reasons outside of cricket.

For Chris Gayle, who has been hailed as leadership material, all has not been well. He must be feeling the effects of the recent contract row and will want to just concentrate on his game and producing for his team. Still many see him as the ultra cool, ?bling bling? player who does not take his game seriously. Like the others, leadership is not new to him as he was entrusted with leading the Jamaican team in the absence of Gareth Breese who was out due to injury. While he did not set the place on fire, he acquitted himself well.

In Gayle and Sarwan, the WICB have two young men whose careers have started to blossom and should be seen as part of the long term future of West Indies cricket. Either man could rise to become the next captain of the West Indies team. While Chanderpaul continues to learn on the job, he needs to be provided with a deputy with whom he can rely on and one who can complement his style of leadership. Most importantly, he needs someone whom he can trust and whom the remaining players will trust.

The future interest of West Indies cricket demands that a successor or successors be identified, trained, groomed and given opportunities to lead so that when Chanderpaul departs the scene there will be a smooth transition.

While there may be a few more candidates waiting in the wings, currently a good deputy is essential. The onus is now on the WICB to set aside any motivations outside of cricket and appoint the man they deem suitable for the job?except Courtney Browne, that is.