‘Make Gray Windies U-19 coach’

REGARDED as the most successful regional youth coach, Trinidad and Tobago’s Anthony Gray is now being thought of as an ideal candidate to take the West Indies Under-19 cricket team to the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh next February.

Trinidad and Tobago’s team manager, Omar Khan, who worked very closely with Gray during the Red Stripe Bowl series in Jamaica is one who has great confidence in the former Test fast bowler. “I think that Tony should be definitely made the coach of the West Indies youth team. He has a record of success at the youth level and there is no better person at present to coach that team in Zimbabwe,” Khan said. Gray has been the coach of the TT Under-19 team for the past four years and has led them to two titles, two runners-up spots and a semi-final placing. No other coach in the history of regional youth cricket has been as consistent. “What I have observed about Tony is that he is a very well organised coach and spends a lot of time not only in teaching the technical aspects of the game but also infuses life skills to the players. Someone with this attribute can do the youth team a world of good,” Khan said. “Cricket in this day and age is about 90 percent mental and 10 percent talent so we have to move in that direction. Tony has noticed this and is a great motivational force to the players,” the PowerGen chemical engineer said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Alloy Lequay described Gray as “a very knowledgeable” cricket coach. “Gray is a very knowledgeable cricketer and coach. He has a very good understanding of the game and this is vital when it comes to coaching,” Lequay said. “He was excellent with the Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 cricket team earlier this year, taking us to an unprecedented ‘double’. He is very consistent and motivational and he has the ability to get the players to lift their game to another level which is great. “Members of the TTCB commented that he was excellent at team meetings during the Red Stripe Bowl series. We are very happy with the performance of Gray as coach of our national teams and I think that he should be elevated the position of coach of the regional youth team,” urged Lequay. When contacted Gray said if given the opportunity he will give the job his best shot. “I will just keep doing the same things and using the same methods. I was very pleased with the performance of the national youth team in winning the double titles. Looking at our senior team. we need to work a lot on the mental aspect and things would improve,”Gray said. At present Gray is working on a plan of action for the national senior team that would compete in the Carib Beer regional series next year.