Sir Vivian quits WI selection panel

GEORGETOWN: Sir Vivian Richards has informed the West Indies Cricket Board that he is unavailable to continue in the post of chairman of the West Indies’ selection panel because of a broadcasting assignment with the BBC during the current West Indies tour of Britain. Richards will be working on the BBC’s Test Match Special coverage team for the three-nation series involving the hosts and New Zealand, as well as the four-Test series between England and West Indies, starting next month.

The appointment of committees, including the selection panel, to serve West Indies cricket for the next two years was one of the agenda items at the WICB’s annual general meeting on Friday and Saturday. “The WICB appointed interim selection committees for the next two months pending the imminent conclusion of the review of the management structure of the West Indies team,” remarked Leonard Robertson, corporate communications manager of the WICB, in a news release. He added: “The review of the management structure, which was accepted in principle by the WICB directors at their meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 18 and 19, will have an impact on the role of selectors.”

“In that context, with the work of the committee expected to be completed in two weeks time, the WICB decided to appoint interim selection committees. The recommendations of the review are to be implemented following the ICC Champions Trophy event in England, which ends in September.” The long-standing Joey Carew has been elevated to the post of interim chairman of the senior selection committee that West Indies opening batsman Gordon Greenidge and former West Indies off-spin bowler Clyde Butts completes. Butts will also be the interim chairman of the junior selection committee that former West Indies fast bowler Ezra Moseley and former West Indies off-spin bowler Derek Parry completes.