Gray wanted $17,000 per month to coach TT cricketers

First vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Dudnath Ramkeesoon will meet with former West Indies wicketkeeper David Williams tonight to offer him the job of coach for the Trinidad and Tobago senior cricket team.

Over this past week talks broke down between Anthony Gray, the first choice coach and the TTCB over salary. It is understood that the former West Indies speedster wanted $17,000 to coach the team per month, while the Board was offering just $4,000. In addition Gray would have received US$300 per match from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Gray’s bid came after Phil Simmons was reportedly given $25,000 per month to coach the team in 2002.

Ramkeesoon spoke to Newsday yesterday. “Tony coached the team for the Red Stripe Bowl and we would have liked him to stay on for the sake of continuity. However he did not accept the Board’s offer to him and we have to look elsewhere for a coach,” he said. “I called David Williams’ wife Debbie and gave her my number, telling her to ask David to contact me as soon as he returns from overseas. He will be returning on Sunday from Antigua where he attended the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) coaching course over the past two weeks. “If he is interested I would immediately set up a meeting between himself and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) on Monday so that they could iron out the details,” said Ramkeesoon. “Once both parties agree we expect to have him with the national cricketers currently training  from Tuesday afternoon,” he said.

Williams has been the coach of the PowerGen cricket team for the past three seasons and Ramkeesoon has put a lot of faith in him to coach TT in the regional tournament. Ramkeesoon said he harboured no ill feelings against Gray: “Tony has made his decision and we must respect him, the man has a right to ask for what he thinks is fair.” Meanwhile rain continued to hamper the national team’s preparations for the 2004 series as the third day’s play of the first trial match at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) was completely washed out.

The authorities have since called off play for today but the players will be at the indoor nets together with the West Indies Under-19 players continuing their preparations. The West Indies Under-19 team will begin a two-week camp today at the Centre starting from 6 am. Manager of the team Roland Sampath said the players will have to get up early to undergo rigorous physical exercises under the watchful eyes of trainer David Cumberbatch. They will then take in net sessions followed by classroom lectures.