Visa problems ground West Indies players;WICB hastens to explain delay
Nothing is ever quite like it seems with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
After it was reported yesterday that, because of visa problems, the players for the forthcoming tour of New Zealand were still in Abu Dhabi, almost a week after its series of three ODIs against Pakistan, and the three newcomers in London, the WICB’s Cricket Operations Department issued an explanation in what was termed “an official statement” through its public relations consulants.
“The entire West Indies cricket team is now well on their way to New Zealand, after brief delays in Abu Dhabi and London,” it noted, adding that “new travel arrangements were made after the team decided to take advantage of the opportunity to stay on in Abu Dhabi for some intensive training.”
“This necessitated transiting Australia en route to New Zealand, for which visas were required,” it added.
Denesh Ramdin, Fidel Edwards and Sulieman Benn, who were chosen only in the team for the two Tests in New Zealand, and WICB media manager Philip Spooner, were delayed while intransitting through London.
Given the litany of WICB bungles over visas and flights for its players in the past couple of years, the latest episode smacked off more disorganisation.
It was the first official announcement that the team had stayed on in Abu Dhabi for “some intensive training.”
Such a late decision would have meant hasty, and probably costly, alterations to accommodation and air travel since the originally declared plan was for preparations in New Zealand prior to the first match, against Auckland over three days December 5-7. Two Tests, two 20/20 internationals and five ODIs follow.
Head coach John Dyson, an Australian who did not require a visa, arrived in New Zealand on Monday. The rest of the squad is expected in Auckland today.
Dyson’s first task was to deflect questions about the controversial campaign slogan “it’s all white here” that had been used by Otago Cricket to promote the first Test in Dunedon December 11-15.
Otago Cricket said it was a catchphrase using a colour associated with cricket and was not intended to cause any racial offence. But the campaign was dropped and both Otago Cricket and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) issued apologies after objections by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and embarrassed officials in New Zealand.
“We’ve been notified of it but we’re concerned with the cricket,” Dyson said of the issue. “We just want to play the game”.
“I’m looking forward to the series,” he said. “I think it will be a very hard fought series.”
