Clive Lloyd’s latest rejected bid to head the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is the latest example of the perverse state of its governance which is seemingly damaged beyond repair.
The former West Indies made an ill-timed, belated appeal for nomination support from six territorial WICB affiliate bodies in a bid to reverse the pathetic state of the sport’s administration.
But all was not lost at the time.
With Julian Hunte and Dave Cameron, having locked up the support from four of the six territorial ruling bodies, prior to Lloyd’s decision to run, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB), had an opportunity to distinguish itself to enable change, by seconding the Guyana Cricket Board’s nomination of Lloyd.
Inexplicably, the T&TCB could not be bothered.
It explained quite equivocally that it wanted no part of the nomination process, thus demonstrating its willingness to continue being part of the motley crew that has been making a mockery of required astute management of West Indies cricket.
In stating its position, the T&TCB declared that it wanted no part of the nomination process.
Baldath Mahabir, a T&TCB Director was thus quoted by the Trinidad Express newspaper. “We were approached by a number of candidates, not only Mr. Lloyd but we preferred to stay out of it.”
T&TCB’s President Azim Bassarath had made a prior declaration in the Trinidad Guardian. “We are not taking part in the politics of the nomination process. We have taken a decision at the executive level to stay out of the nomination process and we would not even second any of the candidates,” were the words of Bassarath according to the newspaper.
In the past there have been classic positions for the wrong reasons, taken by regional cricket administrations, but the T&TCB’s latest contribution has taken the cake for absurdity.
Any election whether it is for Prime Minister of a country or President of a sports organization involves politics and unless Bassarath was deliberately being obtuse or wanted a label of supreme hypocrite, he was making an excellent effort either way, because similar type political manoeuverings enabled him to defeat Deryck Murray for the T&TCB presidency a few years ago.
In stating the Board’s intention to vote nevertheless, in the actual WICB elections, in the said Trinidad Express interview, Director Mahabir made the Board’s intention clear —- to do their part in retaining the status quo among the WICB cabals – with no outsiders allowed in.
It is so even if that outsider happens to be Lloyd, the most accomplished of all West Indies team captains, who moulded the squad into one, unbeatable for 15 years in the 1970’s and 80’s and who has been successful in every cricket endeavor he undertook after retirement.
This clumsy revelation by the Bassarath administration is the latest among such acts, and one which would not surprise the country’s Sports Minister Anil Roberts, who had cause to unleash his wrath on the Board for its inept handling of the participation of national players Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine in the IPL Champions League competition two years ago.
So when Bassarath’s Board representatives go to vote they have a choice of two candidates from the cabal, having done its part in rejecting the outsider Lloyd.
The only reason, incumbent WICB President Julian Hunte and Vice President Dave Cameron are in competition for the former’s position is because he broke a promise not to run again, which would’ve given the latter the Presidency after Hunte was re-elected unopposed in 2011.
This time though, with the anticipated windfall from the abruptly planned upcoming Verus Caribbean T20 competition, the stakes are much higher.
At the time of Hunte’s promise two years ago, Verus’ investment was non-existent and after waiting in the wings for six years, Cameron would not let anyone stand in his way of overlooking the most lavishly financed competition in West Indies cricket outside the Stanford Cup.
It is anybody’s guess which of the two candidates the T&TCB would chose, but one can be sure none would’ve stood a ghost of a chance in any competently run organization.
The Hunte/Cameron administration has a track record of failures so long it would’ve defeat the late fast talking legendary radio sportscaster BL Crombie’s speed in recounting them, even in a half hour presentation.
Apart from presiding over an administration that lost millions of US dollars via breach of contract lawsuits to plaintiffs ranging from the WICB’s own sponsor Digicel, to a multitude of active Regional players, both Hunte and Cameron, were also powerless in their respective designations, to avert the loss of sponsorship of five WICB competitions.
It is now five years and counting the four-day series, formerly known as the Shell Shield and Red Stripe Cup is without external funding. Likewise, is the limited overs (formerly Geddes Grant Shield) championship. Since the Stanford Cup collapsed after 2008, the T20 Cup has followed a similar sponsorship-less route.
Next on the causality list is the overall funding Digicel has pumped into West Indies cricket for seven years. The company whose Chairman Denis O’Brien, condescendingly advised Hunte to resign following its lawsuit triumph, for breaching the contract, has finally had enough and according to the Irish Times newspaper, the telephone firm will cut its funding of West Indies cricket operations to the bare minimum, only retaining its sponsorship of the team.
Incredibly, the WICB has a marketing department which has the rare distinction in the sports world of being rewarded for non-production. Apart from maintaining a unit that does noting, the WICB’s perverse policies include one of reverse economics. Instead of earning broadcasting rights revenue for competitions, the WICB once started and probably still pays a Regional outfit to provide radio commentary throughout the Caribbean.
Hunte subsequently verified the practice when he complained that the WICB’s 2010 T20 championship was expensive to stage because among other things ESPN is contracted to cover the series. It was the President’s argument to justify his demand that Guyana fork over a percentage of its appearance fee to the WICB, to compete in the IPL Champions League.
Yes, it is the same ESPN which like every other electronic media company around the world, has to pay millions of dollars and in some cases billions, to broadcast sports events owned by sports bodies.
It is easy to comprehend how far across the Atlantic; the laughter is heard from ESPN’s head office in Connecticut, towards the West Indies, when the subject of televising the Caribbean T20 series is brought up. The bleeding of money is further perpetuated in the waste on additional staff expenditure from a bloated list, many who are required to travel from territory to territory for major Regional competitions and international matches, for which transportation, accommodation, and meal expenses are incurred along with allowances.
And only this past week noted Journalist Tony Cozier observed that a WICB produced 60-page magazine celebrating the Regional team’s T20 World Cup success was distributed free at games instead of being sold around the world.
And lest anyone forget, it was under this administration, the shame on West Indies cricket grew ten-fold when the Test match in Antigua was abandoned in 2009 due to acute negligence.
Additionally, Hunted and Cameron have alleged integrity issues hanging over their heads that would shame even the most dubious Regional politician.
So, either one of these two candidates, the players and fans of West Indies cricket will have to endure for the next two years, instead of having at the helm someone like Lloyd, who even though armed with an impressive manifesto along with an un matched record of leadership success on the field, and later working with the International Cricket Council, (ICC), was rejected.
It will be more of the same —- sponsorship problems, political appointments, backward team preparation, dead pitches and unbelievable incompetence.
A disaster unlike any Regional hurricane is about to strike.
Where is the United Nations when you need it most.
