A PRIME Minister is against West Indies cricket coach Phil Simmons’ suspension on the eve of the Sri Lanka tour, while a prominent Queen’s Counsel believes he is being punished for speaking the truth.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said in a statement yesterday it had suspended Simmons for comments made last week “which appear to question the legitimacy of the selection process” of the One-Day International squad “pending an investigation into the issue”.
Last Friday, Simmons claimed there was “outside influence” in selecting the ODI squad and it was not done as professionally as it should. He expressed disappointment that Dwayne Bravo and fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard had not been picked in the touring party, adding that he and convenor of selectors, Clive Lloyd, had been outvoted 3-2.
A WICB official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity yesterday, contended that Simmons’ actions were “a clear case of a breach of protocol and confidentially”, as he overstepped the crease in terms of speaking about team selection which normally should be done by chairman Lloyd.
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