(Trinidad Guardian) The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has decided to axe current manager Sir Richie Richardson and replace him with his former teammate and former manager of the team Joel Garner.
The decision was taken at the board’s teleconference on Tuesday and Garner, who is also a director on the WICB, agreed to pick up the challenge at this critical time in West Indies cricket.
A WICB director confirmed to T&T Guardian that the offer was made to Garner and he accepted it. It is anticipated that the WICB will make an official statement on this move soon.
Richardson was the manager of the team that aborted the tour to India recently and according to the WICB director: “At this point in time we thought that Joel would be the better man for the job because he has a no-nonsense attitude. We are not saying that Richie encouraged anything, what we are saying is that we need a more forceful manager at this point in time.”
Contacted for his comment on this matter, president of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath denied any knowledge of it and said that he did not participate in the meeting.
“I had some other commitments in terms of meetings at the Regional Corporation in San Juan where I work, so unfortunately I was unable to take part in the teleconference.”
Asked whether there was a move to have all three captains removed, Bassarath again pleaded ignorance saying: “That to me is unbelievable. No one has contacted me with that news and for that to take place all the directors would have to be aware.”
It was rumoured that Test captain Denesh Ramdin would have been replaced by Kraigg Brathwaite, one day captain Dwayne Bravo by Jason Holder and T20 captain Darren Sammy, also by Holder.
This would have breached the Hyatt Accord where it was agreed that no discrimination or victimisation would take place in dealing with all members of the team that aborted the tour.
The WICB will have another meeting on Thursday, as they build up to their ordinary meeting on December 13, in Jamaica.
