Former great Lloyd to head West Indies selection panel

(Reuters) – West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have named former captain Clive Lloyd the new head of their selection panel, the board said late on Saturday.

The former left-handed, hard-hitting batsman, who turns 70 this month, has been appointed for a two-year term with former wicketkeeper-batsman Courtney Browne, current head coach Ottis Gibson and the team captain making up the rest of the panel.

Clyde Butts, the previous chairman of the selection panel, and Robert Haynes have made way for the new panel members, who also include former fast bowlers Eldine Baptiste and Courtney Walsh, the WICB said in a statement.

One of cricket’s greatest captains, Lloyd played 110 tests and 87 one-day internationals during a phase when West Indies dominated the sport worldwide. The World Cup-winning skipper also became an International Cricket Council match referee and served as the head of its cricket committee.

“We welcome the introduction of Clive Lloyd – one of the true legends of West Indies cricket – to the selection panel for the first time,” said Richard Pybus, the director of cricket.

“We are also glad that an iconic fast bowler like Courtney Walsh, and highly-experienced, former international player and coach like Eldine Baptiste have accepted to perform this important function.”

The first assignment for the new panel will be selecting the team for the home series against Bangladesh. West Indies will host Bangladesh for three ODIS, one Twenty20 and two tests.