Sir Richie Richardson is still the Team Manager of the West Indies cricket team contrary to a media report which said the former West Indies batsman was removed from the post.
Richardson was manager of the team when the players withdrew their services from the tour of India due to a pay dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).
The WICB Board of Directors held meetings by teleconference yesterday and on Tuesday to discuss the West Indies tour of South Africa and following the teleconference yesterday, the WICB, in a statement to the media, said “contrary to media reports, Sir Richie Richardson has not been removed as Team Manager of the West Indies Team.”
The statement also named Michael Gordon QC as the chairman of the “Task Force” which will investigate the West Indies pull-out of the tour of India.
The other members of the Task Force will be Sir Wes Hall and Dennis Lalor while WICB attorney Alanna Medford will serve as the secretary to the Task Force and Gerard Pinard will serve as industrial relations advisor.
The WICB also stated that it may add members to the Task Force pending their agreement.
The statement also noted that the West Indies Team Management Unit debriefing will take place on November 11 in Antigua.
The WICB also confirmed receipt of a letter from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and stated that it “will continue to use its best endeavours to meet with the BCCI to discuss all relevant matters pertaining to the premature end to the tour of India.
“The WICB respects the decisions of the BCCI but continues to trust that discussions can result in a mutually agreeable resolution. The WICB reiterates that the events which led to the premature end to the tour of India were extremely unfortunate and the WICB is committed to ensuring that such events do not recur,” the statement added.
The WICB also advised that following the meeting between the WICB, WIPA and the players at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, last Friday, the Board sent a draft joint statement to the attorneys representing WIPA and the players and is awaiting the response of the players’ attorney and that a statement will be provided once such response is received.
Board also noted that next week, it will provide the dates on which the West Indies Test and limited overs squads will be announced for the tour to South Africa set for next month.
The WICB also thanked the Prime Ministers Dr Gonsalves, who facilitated Friday’s meeting along with Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell for their interest in and facilitation of this matter.
The statement also said that the WICB is looking forward to the prime ministers’ continued support and that of CARICOM with regard to the response to the communique from the BCCI.”
