WICB has lost its way

Delano Franklyn, GUEST COLUMNIST

West Indies cricket is in deep crisis. Perhaps the only persons who seem to think differently are the directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). This is quite understandably so, as they, to a very large extent, have contributed to the crisis.

Yet, the current directors of West Indies cricket are all respectable and decent persons. Jennifer Nero of St Vincent is the sole female director on the board. The directors have been successful persons, some very successful, in their areas of individual pursuits. They are all persons who have given a lot of time and effort to the development of cricket in their territories, and by virtue of this were elected by their island cricket associations to become directors of the WICB.

The directors have the responsibility to elect a president and vice-president, and, in combination, identify and bring on to the board, as independent directors, four persons from the region. The table below lists the names of the current directors of the WICB. Missing from the list of independent directors is Clive Lloyd, who recently resigned to take up an assignment in Guyana.

Directors of West Indies Cricket Board

The directors are charged with the responsibility of employing persons to effect and implement its policies and programmes. Such employees currently include Dr Ernest Hilaire, CEO, and Ottis Gibson, the coach.

These are the directors who have helped to put West Indies cricket in the coma it now finds itself. These are the persons who have presided over the loss of 10 arbitrations against the West Indies Players' Association. These are the directors who have decided that Christopher Gayle, despite being punished for more than 10 months, is not a fit and proper player to return to the team.

These are the directors who selected Gibson who, by the performance of the West Indies team under his watch, has one of the worst track records as a coach of the West Indies cricket team. These are the directors who allowed one of their own, Professor Beckles, to call Gayle a don, and compare him with Dudus. These are the directors who, a few days ago, hit out against Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

WICB and Prime Minister

According to the directors, the prime minister spoke without having the benefit of a proper brief. Yet, the prime minister said nothing that has not been said by others who know and love cricket.

The prime minister, speaking at a function of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) on February 18, said, among other things, that:

"I am concerned that Jamaica was ignored as a playing venue for the upcoming Australian tour of the West Indies. Also, I understand that your association (JCA) is now fighting to get the New Zealand team, which will be on tour in the West Indies, to play here, in Jamaica. You have my support in this effort. With almost 150 years of legacy, and as one of the finest cricket grounds, Sabina Park should not have to be struggling and even ignored as a venue for any tour to the West Indies."

With regard to Gayle, she opined:

"The current dispute is untenable, and I'm very disturbed by how long this matter has gone on without a resolution. There has been no trial and no hearing; and, as we know from the popular maxim - justice delayed is justice denied. It is not just to have one of the world's leading cricketers being excluded from international cricket. The matter demands an amicable resolution as quickly as possible."

Without having the benefit of the full text of the prime minister's presentation, the directors of the WICB, with the exception of those from Jamaica, rushed headlong and made contemptuous and disrespectful remarks about the prime minister, precipitating an unnecessary quarrel with the people of another Caribbean territory.

Response - Not in order

The WICB's response was wrong for a number of reasons.

1 It is not true, as was suggested by the directors, that the prime minister did not have the benefit of the full information pertaining to the matters on which she spoke.

2 It is not true, as was said by the directors, that the relevant officials in Jamaica did not, or did not properly, brief the prime minister.

3 The directors' explanation that the upcoming Australia tour did not include Jamaica (Sabina Park) as a venue because of scheduling and weather is one of the most ludicrous excuses that could have been advanced. The majority, if not all, of the tours by Australia of the West Indies have included Jamaica as a playing venue.

4 When the prime minister spoke, no official decision had been taken by the directors that the New Zealand team would play in Jamaica.

5 It is untrue, as claimed by the directors, that the prime minister was not fully up to date on the issues involving Chris Gayle. Whatever the merits or demerits of Gayle's criticism in that interview on April 22, 2011, the fact is that Gayle has not been given a hearing before the disciplinary committee of the WICB.

6 For the directors to have stated "that the WICB does not believe that the prime minister is suggesting that Mr Gayle be returned to the West Indies team without withdrawing his comments" shows the deep lack of understanding among the directors. The prime minister suggested no such thing.

prolonged ordeal

The Gayle impasse has been going on for more than 10 months. How much longer should the prime minister have waited before expressing her position on the matter?

It is for this reason that I disagree with the sentiments expressed in the Gleaner editorial of February 24, 2012, which stated: "That by conflating her nationalist sentiments with her roles as the minister with whom the portfolio of sports ultimately resides, and her job as prime minister, Mrs Simpson Miller left herself little room for tactical manoeuvre. Any substantial and effective action on her part now will most likely be deliberately muscular, rather than subtle."

The editorial of The Gleaner seems to forget that, on or around the same time that the WICB moved against Chris Gayle last year, it also moved against Shivnarine Chanderpaul, allegedly for unflattering words he also publicly expressed against the WICB. The GCB and the government of Guyana, including the then president, came out swinging, and the WICB backed off, thus allowing Chanderpaul to become eligible for selection to the Test team. It would appear, therefore, that the WICB, based on this example, is not prepared to appreciate anything subtle.

WICB President Hunte could not expect that he would be able to see the prime minister without the directors issuing, first, a public apology.

Hunte also indicated that he would not wish to be accompanied by the Jamaican directors on the board to the meeting with the prime minister. Why would the president wish to meet with the prime minister in secret? Is it because the WICB representatives in Jamaica were never consulted when the other directors decided to gang up against the Jamaican prime minister? Is it because the two Jamaican WICB representatives expressed their disagreement with the way the WICB went about its criticism?

Some of the WICB directors, in an effort to absolve themselves of blame, quickly point fingers at the CEO, Ernest Hilaire, as the real reason why the WICB finds itself in its current predicament. However, Mr Hilaire is an employee of the board, and if members of the board are of the view that he is to blame, they can easily replace him.

In conclusion, the directors must be made to reinstate Gayle on the basis that whatever his indiscretions, he has already been effectively banned for 10 months from playing for the West Indies. The directors should also be made to issue a public apology to Prime Minister Simpson Miller. Finally, CARICOM must also be made to resurrect its Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on Cricket to deal with the prevailing crisis facing West Indies cricket.

Delano Franklyn is an attorney-at-law and member of the People's National Party. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and delanofranklyn@gmail.com.

BOARD MEMBERS	COUNTRY
Dr Julian Hunte
President	St Lucia
Dave Cameron
Vice-President	Jamaica

Joel Garner

Conde Riley	Barbados

Baldath Mahabir

Dr Allen Sammy	Trinidad & Tobago

Elson Crick

Emanuel Nanthan	Windward Island

Gregory Shillingford

Enock Lewis	Leeward Islands

Anand Senasee

Ramsan Ali	Guyana

Lyndel Wright

Milton Henry	Jamaica
Prof Hilary Beckles, Indp.	Barbados
Jennifer Nero, Indp.	St Vincent
Clifford Reis, Indp.	Guyana