President of Cricket West Indies, Ricky Skerritt has rubbished a call by one of the body’s director to have Head Coach, Phil Simmons sacked for leaving the ‘bubble’.
Skerritt, in a virtual press conference yesterday saw it pertinent to respond to an ESPNCricinfo article which related to President of the Barbados Cricket Association, Conde Riley writing to the Board of Directors and calling for Simmons’ “immediate removal.”
Riley labelled Simmons choice to attend the funeral of his father-in-law as “inconsiderate and reckless.”
“I am being bombarded by concerned parents and members of the BCA. This behavior is inconsiderate and reckless. It endangers the lives of those 25 young men in the UK and in fact the entire management team and cannot be tolerated,” Riley is quoted by ESPNCricinfo as stating in his e-mail.
According to Skerritt, “I want to use this opportunity to assure West Indies Cricket fans and cricket lovers everywhere that Phil Simmons still has the full backing of CWI behind him no matter what has been said and when it is all said and done, Phil’s job is not in any way threatened by that said letter.”
The CWI boss added, “Prior to the start of the tour, Coach Simmons had already sought and was given the necessary permissions from medical officials to leave the team’s base. The entire process for his exit and reentry to the bio-secure location was approved and managed by the medical teams of the CWI and England and Wales cricket board and follow strict protocols set up in advance to manage such scenarios.”
Skerritt went on, “Phil Simmons went through a very vigorous recruitment process nine months ago and was the best man we could have found for the job,” he said.
“He is still the best man to be in charge of this touring squad,” he reaffirmed.
The CWI leader added, “I’m confident that the people of the Caribbean have already thrown their support behind Phil and will continue to throw their support behind him and Captain Holder and the touring squad who we know will give an excellent account of themselves in this series.
“It is also a well-established policy for CWI players and team officials while on tour to be given permission for compassionate leave as and when needed. The matter of Coach Phil Simmons existing and returning to Old Trafford should therefore have never been controversial in any way,” said the former West Indies manager.
“This is a very awkward situation to speak about, this is a director writing to me and copying to all and sundry, it was I would say a shock and my only response would be to ask him to withdraw that letter because to me it was a burst of emotions which were unnecessary and somewhat hasty,” he declared.
Skerritt confirmed that to date the letter has not been withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Simmons, who was also involved in the virtual conference expressed that his attendance at the funeral was never in question citing the close relationship between him and his father-in-law and the support needed from him by his family.
“I think everybody knows what happened and for me and my family there was no question of me not going to the funeral because it is a very, very hard time for us and my wife and daughters and son needed that support and just as we try to build our family and family is a huge thing for me, that is the same thing we are trying to build here as a family and everyone support everyone,” he stated.
The head coach added, “I think that if somebody wants to try use that against me all well and good to them.”
Simmons, who has been in self-isolation since established “I don’t think it has disrupted anything and the squad here has been so close and everyone here has been in it with me… and I don’t think it’s going to disrupt our preparation…I think it’s going to do anything but making us a bit stronger heading into the series.”
