Willie to take wait and see approach

EX-TEST cricketer and current Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) president Willie Rodriguez is not ruling out the possibility of getting back into the race for president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Rodriguez can now get back in after Guyanese Chetram Singh withdrew out of concern the ICC would not let him attend general meetings of  the world body, due to his involvement as owner of a betting shop in his native Guyana. Originally it was a two-man race between Rodriguez and Singh after the former was nominated by the Jamaican Cricket Association (JCA). Willie failed to gain the support of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), who had indicated that they had earlier pledged their support to Singh. After careful consideration, the former Test leg-spinner Rodriguez withdrew from the race saying that it seemed  the directors of the Board wanted continuity and he wasn’t going to stand in their way. This paved the way for Singh to be formalised in the position of president at the WICB’s annual general meeting over the weekend in Barbados.

However the owner of Goodwood Racing Service in Guyana withdrew at the last moment  and it was decided among the directors that Val Banks who was voted in as vice-president, should act in the position  until a special meeting is held to decide on a  president. In the meantime the WICB has again opened up nominations for the presidency The 69-year-old Rodriguez who has the distinction of being the only man to play both cricket and football for the West Indies said he is taking a “wait and see approach”. Speaking to Newsday yesterday he said: ”My going back into the race depends on several things and I am treating the situation as a non-issue at the moment. “Since the floor has been opened again for nomination, no one has contacted me saying that they have nominated me. If I am nominated again I will have to really review the entire situation and then make a decision on that. At the moment I am just looking on from the outside and observing.”