The sacking of Coach Phil Simmons clearly illustrates the uncaring attitude

(kaiteurnews)The sacking of Coach Phil Simmons clearly illustrates the uncaring attitude of an incompetent and dictatorial WICB directorship blinded by its penchant for vindictiveness regardless of how it affects the performance and morale of WI cricket and cricketers both past and present.
For the CEO of the WICB to suggest that Simmons’ vision was not in alignment with pre-approved WICB strategic plans is an unacceptable and illogical excuse.
After all Simmons is the technical expert, the man who should be responsible for charting the course of the WI teams to on-field success, not Pybus, Cameron or even the Board. Simmons must therefore be provided with the “tools” to get his work done.
The fact of the matter is that the WICB directorship is so intent on preserving its status quo that it is doing whatever it takes to ensure that President Dave Cameron and his cohorts are re-elected next year. That is the plan that Simmons cannot align himself with and, in that regard, the WICB Directors have gone overboard to entice Joel Garner, the No 1 challenger to Dave Cameron’s presidency, to accept the WI managership even with his obvious conflicting positions as Director of WICB and Head of the Barbados Cricket Association.
Suddenly and interestingly there is an abundance of Barbadians in the various WI cricket teams as well as in the various leadership roles of manager, captains, coaches, asst. coaches etc, while particularly the Trinidadians have been deliberately marginalized. Clive Lloyd, Curtley Ambrose, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Keiron Pollard, Dinesh Ramdin and now Phil Simmons are all pawns in the WICB chess game. Victims of the well-crafted “plan”.
The continued unflinching support of Cameron and his cronies to the illegal and catastrophic disorganization and mismanagement of Guyana’s Cricket provides nothing but insurance for the preservation of their group within the WI cricket directorship.
They have made no attempt to meet with the Guyanese cricketing membership to resolve the recurring issues for fear that the self-servicing Guyanese support they enjoy would be defeated and replaced in any legal democratic elections.
It is indeed sad that Caribbean Governments continue to sit idly by and allow this madness to prevail unhindered instead of taking positive and pragmatic actions and properly represent the people of the Caribbean by protecting our cricket – the single most important aspect of Caribbean unity.
It is commendable to see that Mr. Imran Khan, former Media/Communication Manger of the WICB, has joined the protesting ranks by publicly calling for action against the WICB administrators. I would however implore Mr. Khan to use his influence with the APNU/AFC leadership to enforce the Cricket Administration Act which is being flouted by the current regime calling itself the GCB. This will go a long way towards re-establishing democracy and transparency in Guyana’s cricket and inevitably throughout the Caribbean.
Caribbean Governments must now unite into an assertive and cohesive unit and withhold their grounds, facilities etc from the WI as a show of disapproval and also ensure that Cricket Boards within their individual territories have legally-elected officials.
Fans, organizations sports writers etc must now raise their voices collectively against the WICB’s continued infractions and high-handedness. For their part, players must now bite the bullet and withdraw their services in solidarity with their counterparts and officials against whom injustices are being meted out.
After all the WICB directors are so oblivious to our cricket legacy that they do not seem to mind our consistently poor performances at the highest level and are even sacrificing our young cricket talents like Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite and Kraigg Brathwaite to achieve their own narrow gains.
The time has come: Our Governments must with urgency act cohesively and decisively to rid our region of the self-serving and inept WICB clique that has ignominiously taken our beloved cricket into a downward spiral of despair.
Claude Raphael
Former WICB Director