West Indies Players missing from ICC world T20 launch

– Ask the players, I don’t know says Dyson
By Rawle Toney in
Gros-Islet, St Lucia

It was the much publicized launch of the International Cricket Council’s Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for the Caribbean next year but the members of Team West Indies seemed to have forgotten about Saturday night’s occasion.
They failed to turn up.

Only coach John Dyson, media manager Phillip Spooner along with their fitness trainer and physiotherapist were present.
A question to Dyson as to why the players were not present at the launching saw the Australian trying to evade the question like a batsman evading a bouncer.

“I was there,” was Dyson’s response.
“I don’t know what the players’ reasoning was for last night, I think you should ask them that because we were there,” he added.
ICC Twenty20 Tournament Director Ernest Hillaire, when asked to comment on the situation, spoke with a great degree of frustration in his voice stating that he will see to it that the WICB looks into the matter.

“You don’t even have to ask the question. I would be lying if I said to you that I was not embarrassed by it. I think though the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will have the responsibility of responding.

“As a West Indian and a supporter of cricket I can’t deny my disappointment and embarrassment and I trust I will smile after the WICB deals with the matter.”

This newspaper was unable to solicit a comment from any of the West Indies players and only skipper Gayle attended the presentation ceremony after yesterday’s final one-dayer.