PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Deryck Murray has emphasised that Trinidad & Tobago will remain a part of West Indies cricket, but things must change.
The president of the T&T Cricket Board and director of the West Indies Cricket Board has made this position clear, following the decision of the twin-island republic’s authorities not to send delegates to the WICB’s annual general meeting being held on Monday and Tuesday in Antigua.
“No way does our action signal that the T&TCB is not a part of the WICB and wants to go it alone,” Murray told a news conference on Monday at Queen’s Park Oval.
“We want to see a difference in West Indies cricket and positive growth, hence we are making this move.”
Murray added that the T&TCB’s action was a result of the current malaise in West Indies cricket.
He noted that over the last few years the directors and the administrative arm of the WICB have not been in-sync, and little or nothing has been done to change this anomaly, so the regional governing body can meet the requirements of the modern cricket environment. “What we want to see is that West Indies cricket goes back to the top,” said Murray. “There are all kinds of problems at the WICB, and we would like to see measures put in place to initiate change in the right direction.“We have the report from the P.J. Patterson Committee just lying there and we would like to see this implemented by the WICB.”
Former Jamaica Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, as well as former University of the West Indies Chancellor Dr. Alistair McIntyre, and noted historian Ian McDonald were commissioned by the WICB two years ago to do a top-to-bottom review of the operations of West Indies cricket. They submitted their 76-page report to the WICB a year ago, but the regional governing body has heaped scorn on their findings which among other things called for a complete restructuring of the WICB.
“We took action because we did not want to send the signal that is business as usual,” said Murray. “West Indies cricket is worth saving and we intend to do our best to make a positive change.
“The WICB has been failing in their efforts to properly administrate the game in the Caribbean, and they need to start shaking things up and getting things to work.”
He continued: “We are calling on all the other territorial boards to look at what we are saying and join us in our call for change. We have been in touch with the other territorial boards and we are continuing our discussions.”
Murray also revealed that the WICB has not been in contact with the T&TCB, since they sent a letter informing the regional body that they would not be attending the AGM.
He is hoping that they get a call for a meeting, so that the process of moving forward can take place.
But Murray concluded that the T&TCB was prepared to push the issue with CARICOM, if the WICB fails to respond to their concerns.
