In another slap in the face for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the man they chose to be head coach of the senior West Indies team has turned down the offer.
Australian academy coach Bennett King has officially notified the WICB he would not be accepting the job and would instead remain an employee of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). King’s about-face comes amidst controversy about the way his selection for the job was handled by the Board. The Australian was upset when the Board announced the news before he had a chance to discuss a contract and made it clear there were issues to sort out with his family.
In an interview with CaribbeanCricket.com, he made it clear his hiring as West Indies coach was far from a done deal. Sources say King’s decision to pass up the job offer was communicated to executives at the WICB’s Antigua headquarters on Monday. The Board is expected to announce that assistant coach Gus Logie will land the job on a fulltime basis. It is not clear if Logie will have an assistant. King will remain head coach of the ACB’s Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy.
King spent the last few days discussing a possible move to the Caribbean with his family, but decided instead to remain in his ACA job. He said: “It wasn’t a decision I came to lightly. I decided (that) at this point in time, I’m going to learn much more from the Australian way.” He said he had thought long and hard before rejecting the West Indies offer. “It’s a high profile job and one with a very high profile side. I can’t think of too many higher coaching positions than the West Indies. “But I did my research and I don’t make decisions with my eyes closed.”
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced King as their new coach last week “subject to completion of contractual negotiations.” They hoped he would agree to take over in July, with Gus Logie taking charge for the home series against Australia and Sri Lanka in the intervening period. But King always insisted, “no terms and conditions had been spoken about or offered.” King and his wife have three children, who are all settled in schools in Brisbane, where he previously worked as coach of the Queensland state side. Roger Harper was the previous full-time coach of the West Indies team but his contract expired following the World Cup and he was not offered an extension.
ONLY two foreign teams are likely to play in this year’s second edition of the TT Cup World Youth Club Championship football which will kick off on Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
This according to organising committee chairman Alvin Corneal yesterday. “Up to hours ago, we received an e-mail from Nigeria confirming their participation,” he said. But Beachland Football Club president Unogu Uche told Corneal they were experiencing some problems getting visas to travel to Trinidad and Tobago, and sought his assistance. The other team, from the United States Virgin Islands gave a firm commitment of their participation.
Teams from mainland United States and one from Japan opted out this year because of the conflict in Iraq. A Brazilian team (Corinthians) also will not be coming for different reasons. Corneal said the size of the TT Cup has been doubled with 64 teams set to challenge defending champions Superstar Rangers for their title. He said the number of teams swelled with the introduction of a Boys Under-15 age group and a five-team girls group. Corneal said as an added incentive, each group winner at the preliminary round stage to be played in the five stadia – Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella; Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago; Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar; Hasely Crawford, Mucurapo and Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, will receive trophies.
Final of this year’s tournament will be at the Larry Gomes Stadium on April 19, because of the overwhelming crowd response received during the inaugural series, Corneal said. The former star TT cricketer and footballer said teams in the North will play at the Hasely Crawford Stadium; those in Central at the Ato Boldon Stadium;, East teams at the Larry Gomes Stadium;, Tobago teams at Dwight Yorke Stadium and South teams at Manny Ramjohn Stadium. The girls teams which include Providence, Toco, St George’s College, Barataria Junior Secondary and Blanchisseuse, will play at the UWI ground.
Under the theme See Tomorrow’s Stars Shine Today, the TT Cup committee welcomed new major partner TIDCO and TSTT and welcomed back Squadra International and Lucozade. Apart from the preliminary round trophies and overall champions cup, the Stern John Trophy will go to the scorer of most goals, the Roger Boynes Trophy to the best defender and Raymond Tim Kee Trophy to the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Corneal said it should be noted, several players from the inaugural TT graduated to the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 World Cup qualifying team.
MAJOR stakeholders in local boxing want a greater role in the upcoming symposium on the sport organised by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
And Minister Roger Boynes has been accused of insulting promoters, trainers and coaches who in the main have contributed significantly to the development of the sweet science over the years. Yesterday Buxo Potts, an international matchmaker, said he was disappointed in the way the symposium, scheduled for Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, is being handled. Potts, a former jockey, said he has been told that invitations are being handed out by the Amateur Boxing Association which entitles each affiliated club to two representatives at the meeting.
Speakers at the symposium are also limited to three topics in their contribution according to Potts. “This is not good enough. It reeks of a ‘secretposium’ not symposium. The debate must be a public one open for all interested to voice their concerns, observations and make suggestions,” said Potts.He accused Boynes of trying to stifle debate on the issues facing the sport and of being hoodwinked by a select band of advisers who want to see the sport steered into a particular direction. “We will not allow the wool to be pulled over our eyes. Not wanting any conflict we welcome the debate but it must be transparent and done in the proper way,” Potts said.
He said Minister Boynes had failed to appreciate the efforts of promoters, managers and coaches who have expended their time, energy and finances to keep the sport afloat without any meaningful help from Government and the business community. “Yet when decisions are being made the major players are being left out. Government cannot now flex their muscles,” said Potts. He said he is not too worried about victimisation for his outspoken stance against the staging of the symposium without the input of the major stakeholders. “Boxing cannot be victimised any more than it has been for the past year.
We have people who have not done anything for boxing over the years taking a leading role in how the sport should move forward. It’s a scandal,” said Potts. He said the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs will most likely make a success of the symposium getting their special invitees to attend but it would be a colossal failure for the sport in the long run. “We can’t put much stock in short term measures. “We are here for the long haul,” said Potts. Yesterday the match-maker had organised a meeting of promoters, managers and coaches at the Revival Gym on St Paul Street, Port-of-Spain, to initiate discussion and plan his next move.
Former Trinidad and Tobago cricketer Mahadeo Bodoe showed glimpses of his great potential yesterday when he smashed an unbeaten 72 to take First Citizen’s Clarke Road to 213 for five wickets off their allotted 30 overs.
This was in the semi-final of the Carib Cup limited overs cricket series against Clico Preysal yesterday at Gilbert Park, California. Batting first after being sent in by Preysal, Clarke Road got off to a brilliant start reaching 74 without loss in 10 overs, as all-rounder Sean Siloch and wicketkeeper Gibran Mohammed took the Preysal bowling by the scruff off the neck. However both were dismissed soon after with Mohammed going first for 25.
Siloch followed, bowled behind his legs for 44 by Nevisian Keith Arthurton. Siloch struck seven fours in his steady innings. Bodoe was joined by Guyanese Damodar Dasrath and they took the score past the 150-run mark before Dasrath was dismissed for 32. Bodoe continued to attack and in one over from fast bowler Marlon Black, he pillaged 26 runs inclusive off three sixes and two fours. At the close of the innings he was unbeaten on 72 that came off just 55 balls and included three sixes and four fours. Preysal will be chasing the winning target at 7.13 runs per over today from 4 pm.
CARIB CUP SEMI-FINAL SCORES
FCB Clarke Road (Mahadeo Bodoe 72 no, Sean Siloch 44, Damodar Dasrath 32, Gibran Mohammed 25, Kenton Thompson 16, Anderson Bryce 2/27, Keith Arthurton 1/28)) vs Clico Preysal.
Former Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 cricket captain Colin Murray, now Carib’s Public Relations Manager, has called on cricket clubs to help develop the region’s game and not only focus on winning tournaments and collecting prize money.
“Clubs, it seems these days are only focussed on winning tournaments and are not taking time off to develop their youth players, so that Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies cricket can benefit,” Murray said. “I am not saying that winning is not important but one eye must also be kept on developing the players. The clubs must stand up and be counted and players must be prepared well so that the transition between club and country is not hard,” hw said. “The club representatives need to dig deep and dig within. We have not won a regional cricket title in 18 years and I am not sure when we will win one. I was very happy with our sponsorship of the regional series but particularly devastated that we couldn’t win any of the titles,” Murray said.
Murray made the statements yesterday at a media conference to introduce the teams for the Carib Cup finals on Saturday at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre from 2.30 pm. Clico Preysal and last year’s runners-up PowerGen Sports Club will bid for honours. PowerGen’s skipper Samuel Badree is confident and warned Preysal that his club will be taking the Carib Sunday League crown. “We at PowerGen have won every major cricket title in Trinidad and Tobago except the Sunday League. Come Saturday we are not going to allow it to elude us,” he said.
Eugene Antoine of Preysal said his players are more about playing and not talking. “We have reached another final and we are going to enjoy ourselves and win the clash. It is as simple as that. On Saturday we are going to Guaracara Park to get the title and we are going to enjoy doing it,” he said. The winners of the final will take away $30,000 and there will also be incentives for the players during the match. The first batsman striking the huge Carib Bottle that will be placed at the Northern boundary will receive $10,000. Representatives off the sponsors, Carib, as well as the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) will meet the players of both teams before the start. Gates to the venue will be opened at 1 pm and general admission is $20. All children under the age of 12 years will be allowed in free and there will be goodies available for them.
Cuban world-rated cyclists Julio Cesar Herrera, Michael Pedrosa and Joel Marino will add greater strength and firepower to the West Indies team against The World in the Beacon Insurance cycle series.
Tonight the region’s best pedal pushers will come up against several top rated international wheelsmen in the opening 15-lap race around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. The feature race, organised by Phillips Promotions Limited, is expected to get underway at 8 pm but the official opening ceremony will start at 7 pm. Archbishop of Port-of-Spain Rev Edward Gilbert will offer prayers while the Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who is a cycling fan, will deliver the feature address.
The Cubans dominated the Southern Games and made a clean sweep of all the international races on the banked grass track at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, over the weekend. Herrera, the former world junior match sprint champion, showed his class at the Southern Games and whipped his rivals in claiming the Roger Gibbon Match Sprint Trophy and the 500 metres events. He made light work of Switzerland’s Phillipe Michel in the match-sprint quarter-finals, Trinidad and Tobago’s Elisha Greene in the “semis” and then disposed of his junior compatriot Michael Pedrosa who won the 1,000 metres race. Having won the Pan-American sprint gold on four occasions, the 26-year-old Herrera maintained his reputation and has the type of form which will help the West Indies team dominate the shorter track events.
TT’s Greene has also been selected on the West Indies team and alongside Cuba’s junior champion 20-year-old Pedrosa, will prove a tremendous force for the overall title in the Beacon contest. All eyes will also be on Cuba’s pursuit champion Joel Marina who copped the “Most Outstanding Cyclist” award at the just-concluded Southern Games. Marina showed awesome power and speed as he demolished his opponents in the longer International races. Showing complete mastery of the bike as he outsprinted his rivals, Marina thrilled the biggest crowd to watch the revived Games in recent years. He won the 2000 metres from Greene and Pedrosa and the 8000 metres from Emile Abraham and Barbados’ Carlitos Jones on Saturday. On Sunday, Marina held off compatriot Pedrosa and TT’s United States-based Roger Farrell in the 3000 metres. The positions were almost similar in the Devil-take-the Hindmost with Marina leading home Pedrosa and TT’s Abraham. And to crown his superiority and dominance, Marina won the curtain event, the gruelling 10,000 metres from a fast finishing Farrell and Greene.
The results clearly showed that the Cubans would make the West Indies team an awesome and irresistible force, whether on the road or the track. TT’s road race champion Abraham and promising junior Joshua Alexander, Guy Acosta and Guyanese-born Stephen Mungroo will line-up in the West Indies team colours. Barbadians Sean Kelly and Carlitos Jones, Guyana’s Tyrone Hamilton and Jamaica’s Horace McFarlane are the others on the WI team. Belgium’s Nico Royloft and Kieran DeFauw and Colombia’s Carlos Alvate, Rodrigo Baroos, Carlos Monroy and Jernan Sanchez will also add a new dimension to the Rest of the World Team. They will race alongside Canada’s Keith Brunea, Glen Randel and Alexandre Maurais; United States’ Terry Loft, United Kingdom’s Peter Jacques, Switzerland’s Marcus Kammerman and Phillipe Michel; Czech Republic’s Filip Sustr and Petr Klimes and Scotland’s Stef Collins and Robin Thompson.
The Colombians are always dangerous riders and are capable of toppling the favoured riders. They race as a team and understand the strengths and weaknesses and make things happen their way. In addition, the Rest of the World will also gain the services and experience of Czech world rated cyclists Ivan Verba and Pavel Burran and this could still provide them with the edge to hold on to the title they claimed last year.
Zion Sports Academy will host a 13-bout kick boxing and conventional boxing card, titled “Challenge of the Warriors” at the Princes Town Senior Comprehensive School on Saturday starting at 6 pm. There will be nine kickboxing fights and four boxing bouts.
Tickets are $15 and are available at Zion’s Sports Academy, Bhola’s Motor Works and Princes Town Junior Secondary. All fighters are asked to be at the Princes Town Senior Comprehensive School from 4.30 pm on fight night.
THE CARD: Khaleel Mohammed, 95 lbs (Zion) vs Adrian Sookdeo 96 lbs (Al-Hikmah); Andy Lall 120 lbs (Zion) vs Jody Young 119 lbs (Al-Hikmah); Anita Mahadeo 105 lbs (Zion) vs Kessy Lessy 109 lbs (Phoenix); Roopa Binda 105 lbs (Zion) vs Leann Boodram 100 lbs (Phoenix); Carlon Douglas 172 lbs (Zion) vs Roger Baptiste 170 lb (Fine Line); Clinton Ayers 130 (Zion) vs Rishi Ramsaran 135 lbs (Al-Hikmah); Kenneth “Ironman” Bishop 135 lbs (Al-Hikmah) vs Super Micky (Phoenix).
Fighters still to be matched are BRH (Zion), Yadav (Zion), Mitra Samdeo (Kalari); Richard Boodram (Phoenix), Randy (Zion) and Lary La Fon (Sumaria Warriors).
Among the sponsors for the card are Bhola’s Motor Works, Rawle’s Welding Wiz; J,R and D Furniture and Appliances Store; Trinidad and Tobago Fitness Academy; and the Works Auto Service.
Union Cricket Club defeated Maple by three wickets to move into fourth place in the Gopaul and Sons sponsored South East Zonal Council Second Division cricket series last weekend.
Batting first, Maple were routed for 146 with Sunil Bridgemohan getting 33 and Jason Ali 27. Rodney Rahim was the pick of the bowlers with four for 53. Union in reply were decimated for just 101 and batting a second time Maple made 141. Chasing 186 runs for victory, Maple would have fancied their chances of a win but Kelly Seecharan had other ideas. The right-hander smashed an exciting 86 to take his team home at 187 for seven —- by three wickets. There were also wins for Barrackpore United by 111 runs over Poole United and Moruga got over a spirited Biche by 58 runs.
GOPAUL & SONS SCORES
At Barrackpore: Barrackpore 175 & 198 (R Neesham 82 & 31, Doodnath Ramnath 32 & 37, Rakesh Poolchan 48, Jessie Bowrin 4/53, Shane Balkaran 3/11, Edward King 4/46, Steve Balkaran 3/34) def Poole Utd 137 & 125 (Jessie Brown 20, Rajesh Rattan 23, Darren Ramcharitar 26, Edward King 22, Rakesh Poolchan3/22, Nizam Mohammed 3/11 & 4/35, Suresh Seejattan 3/17) —- By 111 runs. Barrackpore 26 pts, Poole Utd 8 pts.
At Moruga: Moruga 125 & 185 (Steve Reviero 27 & 31, Keston Reviero 35, Denny Cedeno 26no, Amin Forgenie 23, Anslem Anastacio 4/55, Michael Gooding 4/53) def Biche 145 & 108 (Michael Gooding 51, Alvin Bedassie 27, Aldwyn Francis 21, Dawson Adams 4/52 & 4/19, Shaun Ragoo 3/32 & 2/31, Juan Glodon 3/13 & 3/31) —- By 58 runs. Moruga 25 pts, Biche 10 pts.
At Killdeer: Sunil Bridgemohan 33, Jason Ali 27, Andy Lutchmansingh 25, Rodney Rahim 4/53 & 4/43, Kelly Seecharan 3/20, Morris John 2/17) lost to Union 101 & 187/7 (Francis Flores 22, Kelly Seecharan 86, Shameel Rahim 28, Steve Rooplal 2/25 & 5/76) —- By 3 wkts. Union 25 pts, Maple 8 pts.
STANDINGS AFTER FOUR ROUNDS
Moruga 75pts, Biche 73 pts, Barrackpore Utd 70 pts, Union 51 pts, Christian Conquerors 47 pts, Maple 24 pts, Poole 24 pts.
SYDNEY: Fast bowler Glenn McGrath is hoping to rejoin the Australian Cricket team on their tour of West Indies while his wife Jane undergoes treatment for cancer, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced yesterday.
The ACB said in a statement that McGrath would return to the Caribbean for the final two Tests but only if his wife’s initial treatment goes well. “Subject to Jane McGrath’s reaction to cancer treatment in the coming weeks, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed today that fast bowler Glenn McGrath will resume his place on the tour of the West Indies later this month,” the statement said.
McGrath quit the tour last week and flew home to comfort his wife after she was diagnosed with a secondary cancer infection in her hip. Jane previously made a successful recovery from breast cancer. McGrath’s decision to go back came after a specialist said her condition was not as bad as feared. She will still undergo radiation therapy but is expected to make a full recovery. The ACB said McGrath would most likely return ahead of Australia’s tour match against the University of West Indies in Barbados on April 26. He would miss the first two Tests of the four-match series but would be available for the Third Test, staring on May 1 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
SHARJAH: Shoaib Malik hit 76 off 58 balls and Mohammed Sami took four for 25 yesterday as Pakistan crushed Kenya by 143 runs in the Sharjah Cup one-day cricket tournament.
Pakistan, unbeaten in the four-nation round-robin, are favoured to lift the title in tomorrow’s final against Zimbabwe. Pakistan rattled up a formidable 286 for eight — the highest total in the US$105,000 tournament —before dismissing Kenya for 143 in 31.4 overs. Paceman Mohammed Sami triggered the Kenyan batting collapse taking four for 25 in two excellent short spells. The Kenyans, recent World Cup semi-finalists, began their chase badly losing two for 18 by the fifth over, before slumping to 31 for four by the eighth over. Only the experienced Maurice Odumbe played the Pakistani bowlers with grace, scoring 54 off 65 deliveries, laced with six boundaries, four off one over by Umar Gul. Odumbe was one of the four catches taken by skipper and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif, who had earlier scored a brisk 38 for his team.
Kenya was 137 for five before Pakistan ran through the rest of the innings for the addition of only six runs. Earlier, already assured of a place in tomorrow’s final, Pakistan opted to bat first and began slowly. They did the most damage in the last 10 overs when they scored 106 runs, 64 in the last five, and posted the highest score in this tournament. All-rounder Malik led the way with a six and six fours. He added 72 runs for the sixth wicket with Misba-ul Haq, who stroked 42 from 66 balls to boost the run-rate. The innings looked in some trouble at 150 for five in the 35th. Latif contributed 38 from 31 balls as Pakistan put the Kenyan bowlers to the sword. Skipper Steve Tikolo was the most successful bowler taking three for 42 from eight overs.
