……..WICB president Julian Hunte
By Orin Davidson
Clive Lloyd has been in and out of the West Indies cricket team setting but remains vital to the development of West Indies Cricket, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Julian Hunte says.
In an exclusive interview, Hunte explained that the former team captain was personally recruited by him to play a meaningful role when he assumed the presidency.
“Clive Lloyd is a director and a very valuable asset to West Indies cricket, that is why when I took over as president, I asked him to become a non-elected director of the Board,” said Hunte, who presided over the recent United States of America Cricket Association elections.
Hunte also put to rest talk that the West Indies team’s most successful captain was fully in charge of the team, including the coaches that recently toured South Africa.
A well-publicized letter to Lloyd before the South Africa tour purporting to carry out a mandate by the WICB was misconstrued, Hunte added.
“I wrote to Clive as the manager of the team asking him to convey to the players the best wishes of the Board. I have written to the manager as well for this (Sri Lanka) tour, he said adding that, “The manager deals with the non cricketing aspects of it.”
The new president pointed out that Lloyd, who has served as manager, coach and advisor in the past, has a larger role to play in the Region’s cricket development.“Clive Lloyd is an icon and we have lots of plans as far as Clive Lloyd is concerned as we put together our strategic plan for the development of West Indies cricket.
As I speak to you I know our Board depends on his contributions a lot. He has been retained by me to ensure he gives the Board the benefit of his experience,” Hunte stressed.
But Hunte was vague in explaining the composition of the WICB’s decision makers on cricket related matters.
“The Board sets policies, the administrative arm carries it out.” he stated.
The WICB has been criticized roundly, by among others, its former Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Aanensen, on its decision-making policies in the past.
And only recently, new coach John Dyson reportedly called for a change in the team selection process.
It is understood that all 18 board members including the directors, Hunte and the vice president, along with some paid officials collectively are involved in making appointments among other decisions.
Hunte disclosed that Trinidad and Tobago team manager Omar Khan, who took over from Lloyd as West Indies’s manager, will be given a long run.
“What we have done with the appointment of Mr. Khan is to settle the appointment of the manager of the team on a regular basis,” he said stating that the position will not have any tour-by-tour official any longer.
And Hunte stressed that new coach John Dyson does not have the heavy authority his predecessor Bennett King had, which included strong team selection influence.
“The coach deals with the technical aspects of the team,” Hunte pointed out, stressing that the manager looks after matters off the field and the coach deals with matters on the field.
“I am not going to compare or contrast what happened with Bennett King,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, three Guyanese were elected to the five-person United States of America Cricket Association executive.
Gladstone Dainty was elected president for a third term while Munaff Mohamed is the new second vice-president and John Aaron the new secretary.
The successful staging of the elections, managed by 2007 World Cup CEO, Chris Dehring, and which Hunte deemed free of irregularities, ended a two-year ban on United States cricket which the International Cricket Council (ICC) had imposed because of governance issues.
