WHO’S NEXT?
This seems to be the most logical question in West Indies cricket after the unprecedented shuffling of the deck so soon after the team won three world championships in the same year.
West Indies cricket at best could be described as unpredictable, but what has transpired since the World Cup in India is mindboggling. It doesn’t seem normal.
Honestly, who could foresee former bowling coach Sir Curtly Ambrose losing his pick on the flimsy grounds that the head coach wanted a more “technical” bowling coach?
I don’t believe that even Nostradamus could see that coming.
Other changes have been effected, but I think that one stands out.
Chief executive officer Michael Muirhead will also be moving on, stating that he had completed his mission by helping to turn the West Indies Cricket Board’s financial deficit into a surplus during his tenure.
We knew that former T20 captain Darren Sammy had it coming following his scathing comments about the board in his victory speech after leading the team to its second championship.
It was virtually certain that former coach Phil Simmons would get his walking papers after his initial dispute with the authorities, with claims that there were shadows in the dark trying to influence selection policy.
He served a suspension for his public comments and was subsequently reinstated. But the damage had been done. His exposé cut deep like a knife and I don’t think he was ever forgiven. I felt that what appeared to be a level of redemption was merely a ruse to give him enough rope to hang himself.
The conclusion that he and them weren’t on the same page was just a formality. All the signs that Simmons could be in trouble were evident when the man who is now acting as head coach, Henderson Springer, was brought into the fold. It might be interpreted by some that his sacking was strategic.
Face the consequences
It appears that anyone who has the guts to stand up to this present administration will have their work cut out and they should be prepared to face the consequences.
It was very ironic, too, that Simmons was the one responsible for the removal of Ambrose as bowling consultant. His critics might say his recent firing was karma, but I believe his fate was sealed long before, it was only a matter of when.
The board claimed there were no recriminations following the aborted tour of India, but Dwayne Bravo was relieved of the captaincy of the One-Day team and other so-called ring leaders were ostracised.
So there seems to be a pattern developing to make those who show open dissent pay a hefty price.
Only recently the Antiguan legend, Sir Andy Roberts, said he told Simmons he would be fired and he should never have left his coaching post with Ireland. Mind you, this was at the point when he was first appointed, nothing to do with his subsequent problems with the board.
Prior to Simmons’ appointment, the man he replaced, Ottis Gibson, said he received the sack via a telephone call. He had also left his role as England’s bowling coach to come home in an effort to serve the region. Fortunately, he has been rehired in the same position by the English.
Weaknesses
There seems to be a modus operandi that doesn’t guarantee job security if you don’t see eye to eye with your employers. On the other hand, an organisation is not strengthened if it is only willing to tolerate views that accept its way of governance even though there are glaring weaknesses.
I get the impression that those who have been pushed understand protocol, but they reached the point where they were forced to go public about their misgivings.
Could you ask for a more mild-mannered individual than Simmons, but he felt he had to stand up to safeguard his integrity and maintain the level of transparency and fairness that should be at the core of the selection process.
Let’s face it, it’s a process that can affect a player’s livelihood and can also have repercussions for the overall balance of the team. The role of the head coach is compromised if someone else wants to call the shots.
Theoretically, it can be asked if the next coach, if the next captain and so on, would want a position where it appears that they might not be able to make decisions that are free from bureaucratic control and be reduced to the role of virtual stooges?
How will we be able to attract the best talent, especially in this era of transition where we are considered to have any weight only in the shortest version of the game?
And furthermore, how will the frequent chopping and changing in key areas lend continuity and stability to the development of regional cricket, and particularly in light of an administration whose style of governance is constantly questioned?
• Andi Thornhill is a veteran sports journalist.
