By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterROGER BRAITHWAITE, Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), refused to confirm or deny a report posted on cricket web site Cricinfo yesterday that Australian Bennett King is expected to coach the senior West Indies cricket team.
"I have no idea where they got that information from. I am not able to comment," said Braithwaite, who is based at the WICB's headquarters in Antigua, to The Gleaner in an interview on his mobile phone last night.
However, Braithwaite did say that the new coach would be announced when all contractual arrangements are finalised.
"I would expect, hopefully, within another week or so that we will be able to issue some names to the media, but at this point in time it would be premature for me to make any such comment."
He also refused to name the persons being considered for the coaching position left vacant after the recent resignation of the team's coach, former West Indies Test player Augustine (Gus) Logie of Trinidad and Tobago.
Logie's contract was drafted to run until April next year but the Trinidadian quit as the W.I. Board made its position clear to employ a new coach.
His resignation came at the height of the team's success, following its victory over hosts England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy limited overs series.
According to the report on Cricinfo, the 39-year-old King, who refused to take up a WICB offer to coach the team in April last year, will replace Logie.
The former Queensland State coach who had also guided that Australian team to three consecutive titles, had announced at the time he was given the job that some members of the WICB never gave him the kind of support he needed. He is the Australian cricket Academy's head coach.
However, after turning down the offer, King emphasised he had not ruled out taking the job.
"I love coaching and the international arena is the highest you can go," the man who is in line to be the first Windies foreign coach was quoted saying in April of 2003. "Whether the time is right now, I've still to decide."
Recently Greg Chappell, a former Australian captain, was named as the favourite for the job, while Sussex' Peter Moores has also been linked to the job.
