Respected veteran cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira believes it is time for Cricket West Indies (CWI) to replace West Indies’ batting coach Floyd Reifer after a string of woeful performances by the team’s batsmen.
Perreira has suggested that legendary West Indies opener, Desmond Haynes take over from Reifer ahead of the team’s tour of New Zealand next month, where they will play five T20Is, three ODIs and three Test matches.
With the regional team’s batters continuing to falter in all formats, especially in Tests, he said Reifer had failed to produce results.
Perreira said Haynes, who formed one of the best opening partnerships in the sport’s history with Gordon Greenidge in the 1980s and 90s, was the perfect fit for the job.
Haynes, a Barbadian, played 116 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 7487 runs at an average of 42.29. After retiring from cricket, he served as the West Indies’ lead selector, head coach of the Barbados Tridents, and currently serves on the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee.
“I certainly would like to suggest, due to what has happened since the start of the international series against Australia, our batting has struggled since then, that Desmond Haynes be considered by the West Indies to go to New Zealand as the batting coach.
“Desmond Haynes has a great track record in New Zealand, and his background says it all when he interacts with players,” Perreira told the St Lucia Times.
“But we really must bite the bullet at this time. [Floyd] Reifer has had his run. He has not produced. I’m not being unfair. I think I have a majority of Caribbean people and commentators who will support the inclusion of Haynes to New Zealand.
“Clive Lloyd is on record as saying when Haynes was made chairman of selectors, he was given the wrong job. He should have been given this appointment as batting coach. Let’s see if the West Indies board will think along these lines and make the appropriate adjustments,” he added.
Additionally, Perreira said acquiring the services of former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin to the coaching unit would also assist the West Indies.
He said Franklin’s knowledge would “improve fielding and catching, which has been at a very low level.” (CMC)
