KING

Australian Bennett King has quit his job as coach of the West Indies in the wake of a disastrous performance by the regional team in the Super Eight stage of the Cricket World Cup, The Gleaner learnt last night.

Rumours also swirled last night that West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President Ken Gordon had tendered his resignation, but those reports were unconfirmed.

Medium fast bowler Ian Bradshaw also announced his retirement from international cricket.

While president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, Jackie Hendriks, also a WICB director, confirmed King and Bradshaw's resignations, he said he could not speak for Gordon.

Apart from spineless cricket from the West Indies in the Super Eights, Gordon's unconfirmed decision to resign might have arisen from the fact that he 'overturned' the selectors' recommendation of Ramnaresh Sarwan as captain for Brian Lara.

Bradshaw, who joined Brian Lara as one of several players retiring after the World Cup, has played 62 one-day internationals and took 78 wickets. He played five Test matches.

Terrible run

As for King, West Indies have suffered a string of poor results under his watch since 2005, highlighting more than a decade of decline in West Indies cricket since the halcyon days of Clive Lloyd and later Viv Richards' men.

"He gave up his job as coach," Hendriks told The Gleaner last night. He (King) has offered to stay on for a month to help with the setting up of the academy."

King is the fourth coach to resign after poor World Cup performances. England's Duncan Fletcher, India's Greg Chappell, and Dav Whatmore of Bangladesh have also walked the plank.

"My understanding is that he (King) is the only person to resign," Hendriks said, in response to prompts about Gordon.

With the West Indies set for a summer tour of England, King has recommended that his assistant David Moore take over.

"Ihave heard that he recommended his assistant David Moore to take the team to England," Hendriks said.

( L - R ) Bradshaw and Gordon