Cameron defends WICB performance

(CMC)ROSEAU—West Indies Cricket Board president, Dave Cameron, on Saturday evaded questions on the future of head coach Phil Simmons and Test captain Jason Holder, choosing rather to launch a robust defence of his board’s performance in the face of mounting public criticism.

Media reports over the last week said a proposal would be made at the quarterly Board of Directors weekend meeting here recommending the sacking of  Simmons and Holder, but Cameron offered only veiled statements regarding their discussions on the matter as he side-stepped both issues.

“We did discuss the two major risks that we have identified … the performance of the Test team and the ODI team so that was discussed at length,” he told reporters following the meeting,

“At the appropriate time [we will speak on the Simmons matter]. We have to continue the discussions internally and at the appropriate time we will make any announcements that are deemed necessary.”

When questions persisted on Simmons’ future, Cameron said: “We are not answering any more questions at this point in time.”

Similarly, Cameron also refused to shed light on whether Holder would continue as Test captain, amidst swirling media reports he is set to be replaced by his deputy Kraigg Brathwaite.

“We like to leave the discussion on players to the selectors and the coaches,” the Jamaican administrator said.

“Obviously we’re not happy as an organisation and a region because we’re not winning. I think those discussions need to be had with the player and all persons concerned.”

The run up to Saturday’s meeting was dominated by speculation over the futures of Simmons and Holder, both of whom are widely expected to be sacked ahead of the Pakistan Test tour starting later this month. Simmons was appointed in March last year but since then has had a troubled relationship with his employers, emphasized by his suspension six months later for his controversial comments about team selection.

Holder, meanwhile, took over the helm of a struggling Test team in September last year but since then, little has changed by way of performances, with the team losing six of their last nine outings and winning none.

But with the WICB coming in for harsh criticism from the public over its handling of the game and its relationship with players, Cameron said the region needed to determine what “success looks like” as his organization had been delivering stellar results over the last year.

“We need to ask ourselves as the Board and as our public, what it is the public wants from the West Indies Cricket Board. The West Indies Cricket Board has just delivered three titles. There’s no other cricket board in the world that has three titles to its name,” Cameron contended.

“The West Indies cricket has just delivered improved performances in our finances, the West Indies Cricket Board has just rolled out the PCL (Professional Cricket League) over two years and … the numbers of our players have improved.

“We just saw Roston Chase in his second Test match score 137 not out and save a game so what we need to do is as a public and as our stakeholders is to define for us, what success looks like and I think once we agree what success looks like, I think it’s easy to answer that question.”

West Indies teams have enjoyed unprecedented success this year alone, with the men’s team winning their second Twenty20 World Cup in four years and the women’s team taking their maiden T20 World title.

The West Indies Under-19s also captured the ICC Youth World Cup earlier in February.

Cameron said his board was focusing on what mattered – achieving success for the West Indies cricket brand.

“If we know what success looks like, if you agree what we want this brand to deliver for the West Indian people and it’s people feeling happy about beating two billion people in the world and supporting one of the most celebrated franchises in history, then that’s what we are doing,” he argued. (CMC)