Improving WICB's Public Relations
The response by the West Indies Cricket Board, and specifically that of its Corporate Services Manager Anthony (Tony) Deyal, to the recent allegations against Marlon Samuels came as a pleasant surprise to many who have been closely following the administration of the game in the region.The issue at hand is of course the first one-day match played between India and West Indies in Nagpur on January 21, with claims that Samuels engaged in telephone conversations, giving out vital team information in the process, with Mukesh Kochchar, an alleged bookie.
Both the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council have since confirmed receiving the police report of the alleged incident and cricket’s governing body has started investigations into the matter.
For his part, Samuels has done what perhaps any other player would do if faced with a similar situation, denying involvement in any form of match fixing and asserting that he was not a part of any wrongdoing.
Throughout all of this, the statement issued by the WICB in response to the allegations was by all means commendable, especially considering that the ICC has started its own investigation.
Even if it did not have to, the ICC could have at least informed the West Indies board, purely out of courtesy, of its receipt of the police report and of the course of action that it has decided to take.
But not only did the WICB not bother to wait on official notification from the BCCI or the ICC, it proceeded to state clearly its policy on such allegations, and outlined what it will do if and when official information is received.
The board even went a step further and stated categorically that it will not act on the basis of rumour or gossip, particularly in view of the fact that the future of a young and talented player in the West Indies, a scarcity in the region at the moment, is at sake.
Whether or not the board was pushed by media reports all around the world about the incident, including this website, is another question. But that is secondary in the context of the timely response by the WICB.
Indeed, it was a rather unusual sequence of events. The fact that the WICB on this occasion came out with a timely and relevant statement on the issue through its chief spokesperson, as reported on cricinfo.com and caribbeancricket.com, was welcome and, one might think, long overdue given the modus operandi of information dissemination by the board in controversial matters
For some time, it has become quite commonplace for caribbeancricket.com to break stories about West Indies cricket, even about simple matters such as selection of teams, appointments and other human resource issues, as well as more complex ones such as captaincy recommendations, contract negotiations and pay disputes, just to name a few.
As the official website for West Indies cricket, windiescricket.com should be leading the way in informing the people of the Caribbean and beyond about cricket in the region, not following with little mundane tidbits when the world already knows what is happening.
Certainly, when the WICB announced Deyal’s appointment with effect from September 1, 2006, it was expected that a concerted effort was going to be made from that point to improve the board’s overall communication and public relations programme, which has over the years been dismal at best.
Speaking recently from the Antigua airport by telephone, Deyal himself, whose role includes responsibilities for the functions of corporate secretary, human resources management and industrial relations, and corporate communications, acknowledged that much is still to be done to keep stakeholder groups effectively informed about cricket in the region.
Recognising, however, that he is powerless to stop leaks of information by those who have access to and knowledge of what happens at the board level, Deyal said he is putting systems and procedures in place which will make the WICB’s information machinery more effective. Hopefully, it will be more transparent as well.
Well, Deyal clearly knows that he is the man to make the difference, if there is to be a difference.
And if the WICB’s position in response to the Samuels’ affair was carefully planned and executed, then the board should be commended for taking appropriate action by issuing a statement.
One can only hope, though, that such carefully planned and executed courses of action by the board would now become the norm rather than the exception.
Could it be that the board is in fact well on the way to improving its public relations? The West Indian people can only wait and see.