Sampath Windies U-19 World Cup manager

TRINIDAD and Tobago Under-19 manager and FCB Clarke Road United coach Roland Sampath has been appointed manager of the West Indies team for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in Bangladesh next February. This was leaked to Newsday  by a source close to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday. The source said: “The West Indies Board was very happy with  the performance of Sampath as manager of the Under-19 team during the Red Stripe Bowl cricket series in Antigua, and thought it was only fair that they give him a crack at the World Cup. “Sampath has developed a close relationship with the players and is said to be one that listens to their needs. “This relationship with the players began during the Red Stripe Bowl series and the Board’s view was that to break this would not be in the best interest of the team with the World Cup so close at hand.”

Sampath caught the eyes of the West Indies directors during the TCL Group Under-19 Regional Cricket Challenge in Guyana where he helped to guide  Trinidad and Tobago to the unique double crown. Meanwhile, the source added that former West Indies and Guyana spinner Clyde Butts was the preferred choice of coach of the team ahead of Trinidadian Anthony Gray. Although agreeing that Gray was the better man for the job, the source said the Board decided to give Butts a chance because he would have seen the under-19 players over a long period, since he is an Under-19 selector. Last week there were calls from prominent local cricket officials that the successful Gray should be made the coach. Gray the former Test pacer has a very good record at the Under-19 level, having led Trinidad and Tobago to two titles, two runners-up spots and one semi-final placing. Gray will now be utilised as coach of the  senior Trinidad and Tobago team for the Carib Beer series in 2004