Tony Becca
Last week's news that Clive Lloyd has been appointed chairman of the West Indies Board's Cricket Committee and that Roger Braithwaite has been removed as the Chief Executive officer is good news for West Indies cricket - and they were for two simple reasons.
One reason is that cricket is the business of the Board, that despite the declining fortunes of the team, for too long the business of cricket has been ignored by the Board. The appointment of a man with such credentials as chairman suggests that at last the Board is concerned about the game and is now prepared to do something about it.
The other reason is that as the CEO, as the man involved with the negotiations with the Players Association, Braithwaite was a failure.
As arrogant, as confrontational as Dinanath Ramnarine was, or appears to have been, a lot of the problems between the Board and the Players Association was caused by Braithwaite's failure to negotiate properly and in the best interest of West Indies cricket.
GREATEST TEAM
As captain of arguably the greatest team the West Indies team ever produced, as captain of probably the greatest team ever, and as one of the most successful captains ever in the history of the game, Lloyd, one the best batsmen of all time, one of the finest fielders of all time, knows the game - and there can be no question about that.
On top of that, and despite his lack of success as manager of the team, Lloyd was a leader of extraordinary qualities - a man who made West Indians around the world proud, not only because of the performance of the team he led, but also because he represented them well, on and off the field.
Clive Lloyd is a man of knowledge, he is a man of experience, he is a man of substance, he is widely respected and once he has the time, once the West Indies Board can afford the cost of his travelling from England to the West Indies and back time and time again, plus his accommodation, West Indies cricket will benefit from his involvement.
As one from the grassroots of the game in the West Indies, as one who plied his trade in England, as one who dedicated himself to taking the West Indies to the top after the 5-1 defeat in Australia in 1975-76, and as one who took the West Indies to the top and kept them there for a long time, Lloyd, the big cat, certainly knows, or should know, what it will take to get the West Indies back to the top.
Along with Lloyd, the West Indies Board have appointed Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Desmond Haynes and Deryck Murray to the committee, and although a great cricketer does not necessarily make a great administrator, a great coach, or even a great manager, that is also good, for the simple reason that all four, like Lloyd, do not only boast outstanding records as players.
All four also have a passion for the game, they possess a deep love for West Indies cricket, they are dedicated to the game, and they want to see the West Indies team, their beloved West Indies, return to the top.
REVIEW
The committee has been charged with the responsibility of keeping all matters related to Caribbean and international cricket under ongoing review, to offer expert opinion for the guidance of decision making, of advising the WICB on the selection and conditions of employment of the coaching staff, of keeping the performance of the coaching staff under review and of guiding the WICB accordingly.
They are also responsible for approving and monitoring the effective implementation of the development programme and if that includes development at the grassroots level of the game and not only the development of an elite squad of 15 or 16 players, that is great and congratulations to president Ken Gordon.
Hopefully, however, this will not be - like the previous one - just another committee on paper. Knowing the people on the committee, they are workers, they are committed to West Indies cricket, and hopefully, in the interest of West Indies cricket, they will be allowed by the Board members to function, and to function properly.
