WICB Presidency: B'dos Picks Tony Marshall

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) plans to nominate Tony Marshall for the presidency of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Marshall, stonewalled by the same BCA during previous attempts to land the job, is expected to emerge as a serious candidate if the BCA can find another territorial board to second its nomination.

"Tony has had a fair amount of experience as far as administration in West Indies cricket is concerned. He is a former WICB director, former BCA president and a current member of the WICB marketing committee and he would have a good knowledge and insight into West Indies cricket," BCA president Stephen Alleyne told the Barbados Nation newspaper.

"The board felt his experience and knowledge would put him in good stead to face the next few years which are going to be very challenging for West Indies cricket," Alleyne added.

Back in July 2003, Alleyne agreed to support the controversial candidacy of Chetram Singh without agreement from the full BCA membership, a move that forced Marshall to withdraw his interest.

Marshall, who served as BCA president in the late 1990s, was again mentioned as a candidate in September 2003 after the Chetram Singh fiasco left the WICB without a president for a few months but the BCA again showed little interest, supporting Teddy Griffith instead.

Now that Griffith is bowing out, citing "personal and family considerations," Marshall again approached the BCA and expressed interest, the newspaper said.

"Tony contacted me and indicated an interest in being nominated for the post of president. The board considered this interest. There were no other persons who expressed such an interest and for the reasons I outlined above, the board considered it should support his nomination," Alleyne explained.

On the history of differences between the BCA and Marshall, Alleyne said: "I believe the board of the BCA has to administer cricket responsibly. It must make its decisions objectively, dispassionately and on the basis of the information which is before it at the time the decision falls to be made. That is the mandate the board brings to its decision-making."

The paper said two other names making the rounds for the WICB presidency are former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd and Trinidadian businessman Ken Gordon.

A new president will be elected at the WICB's AGM on July 16 in St Maarten.

Prior to the meeting, there will be a nomination process during which WICB directors will attempt to find a consensus candidate through closed-door negotiations. If competing candidates emerge, the six territorial boards that make up the WICB will cast two votes each.

The outgoing president and VP (Val Banks) also own votes as Class B shareholders, meaning there are a total of 14 votes up for grabs.

CaribbeanCricket.com has learnt that there is a proposal making the rounds to merge the position of CEO and board president. Such a move would certainly lead to the exit of current chief executive Roger Brathwaite. Some board members are also in favour of an executive president, making it a paid position.