Ken Gordon: As Savvy as Ever

The media-savvy side of Ken Gordon is never far away. It came out at a press conference at the Crowne Plaza in Trinidad & Tobago last Friday.

Roger Brathwaite, chief executive officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), took to the podium to answer a journalist?s question of what became of its investigation of a leaked report over West Indies cricket players? behaviour during the Australia tour.

From a public relations management standpoint, the exchange between Brathwaite and journalist Tony Fraser was descending into a war of words.

Until Gordon, with hardly a word but a step forward in his highly polished black shoes, deftly intervened.

He spoke about the future, about looking ahead, of not dwelling in the past and all that is wrong with West Indies cricket, about winning World Cup 2007 and getting all the stakeholders -- the public, the media and the players -- on board.

?We have looked at it carefully and we believe it is doable,? said Gordon, 75. ?And we hope this will become a rallying cry.?

The six-footer was having his first press conference since he was confirmed as WICB president on August 7.

He has his work cut out for him: he has to raise money from corporate Caribbean to meet the WICB?s goals, get the players contracted and toughen them up for victory.

And he has 18 months within which to achieve these lofty goals: the World Cup will be held March-April, 2007.

Putting the WICB?s house in order is key if the World Cup is to bring to the Caribbean an estimated US$250 million in revenue.

What?s involved in staging a World Cup?

Speaking shortly after the press conference a week ago, Gordon said, ?There are so many things?accommodation, venue, whether you have enough rooms. Talking about accommodation in the general sense is one thing; another thing is the capacity of a particular island in which you have a game. How are they going to keep the people? How are they going to move the people through airports? What are the security implications? That?s why the management of this is so absolutely crucial.?

Matches will be held in T&T, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, St Vincent, St Lucia and Grenada.

Management and Gordon are synonymous: he served on the Neal and Massy board for eight years before he became chairman for another four; he chaired BWIA until he fell out with and sued then prime minister Basdeo Panday over an allegation that Gordon was a ?pseudo racist? and he was chairman of First Citizens Bank until he fell out of favour with the Manning administration over political interference.

?I was given certain assurances that there be no political interference and there was,? Gordon said.

Asked why he?s always taken the high road over conflict with the executive, he replied, ?I have no problem with controversy. I have no problem with differences. In fact, I think it increases efficiency and I welcome differences at any level, if not welcome them, certainly recognise their importance. At no time have I ever resigned from anything that had to do with any issue other than what I regarded as a fundamental principle.?

Asked if he really believed there would be no political interference in the affairs of 100 per cent state-owned FCB, Gordon said unhesitatingly, ?Yes, I did. If the Prime Minister tells me that categorically, and I write to him and I thank him for that assurance and I tell the people who are managers, you deliver and you get the rewards because the politicians gave me this assurance, I believe that. Are you telling me that I should expect Mr Manning not to do what he said he was going to do??

He has been asked: why take on this challenge?some might say headache?at 75.

Gordon actually wants to do this.

?The truth is, I feel pretty good as ever. Physically, I feel good. Since I?ve retired, I thought I?d do things that I thought would make a difference and then this offer came to me, an opportunity to make a significant difference. The more I thought of it, I thought it was a challenge,? he said.

Given that the WICB secretariat is based in Antigua, Gordon said the non-paying presidential post would mean him having to go there at least once a month.

The former chairman of Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), Gordon has a reputation for being a health nut.

A sciatic complaint at the back of his left leg prevents him from jogging, but he walks 16 miles a week around the Queen?s Park Savannah.

And he swims.

?I do 40 lengths in a 40-foot pool,? he said.

And he maintains a non-fat, non-sugar diet.

Retired, but busy. Outside of managing the future of West Indies cricket, Gordon is also involved in land development at Lambeau, Tobago. He?s already sold five of ten lots that he?d bought from his stepmother, Olive Gordon.

It?s understood there was a plan to construct 18 villas on Gordon?s land, but that was scrapped, as was a plan to sell the lots as a single parcel.

Land in that area is now going at $50 a square foot, said one Tobago real estate agent.

Gordon didn?t want to talk figures, jokingly sidestepping the question with the comment, ?Next thing you?ll want to know if I have materials delivered from the Scarborough hospital.?

* In association with the Trinidad Guardian.