Please WICB, remove Media Liason Officer Khan

In life, events are often created by spontaneous circumstances. How we react to these challenges in an effort to bring about the best results measures us up to the task at hand. Sadly, many are given prominent positions but do not have a clue as to their own capabilities or possess the initiative to perform their jobs efficiently. And they are easily offended when their inadequacies are exposed. But this is not true of all people. Those who are mature, realise that we are not all perfect and criticism even if harsh, is meant to send a message and is in the main constructive. Gone are the days when journalists in Trinidad and Tobago were tame like lambs being led away for slaughter. Local media practitioners are now clamouring for equality and are not settling for less. 

These basic principles seem to have been lost on Imran Khan, self-styled West Indies Cricket Board Media Liason Officer and Roger Braithwaite, WICB Chief Executive Officer who are both in Trinidad enjoying cricket at the Oval. They both seem to be living in denial as evidence of the charade perpetrated again on the local media yesterday in the face of the multitude of problems faced by bona fide journalists covering the Second Test match between West Indies and England at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. These West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officers are clueless to effect any solutions to the seating problems where clearly, the foreign writers have been given preferential treatment ahead of the locals. But, understandly before solutions can be found one must admit there is a problem. There are at least four photo-journalists with assigned seating who are never at their seats for obvious reasons (at least to most). While they may each need Internet facilities to transmit their digital photos, there should be some method of sharing effected for an efficient operation.

Assigning a specific area to be used for such purpose can achieve this. It would simply entail proper supervision. Again this may be a bit of a stretch for the the WICB “Media Liason Officer.” On the subject the lack of proper accreditation for Newsday staffers, Khan insists that the local journalists missed the deadlines. And in his opinion, that’s the end of that. With that kind of moronic approach to a media problem, it’s not surprising that the regional team is slipping fast down a mossy slope. It is a totally unacceptable response to a common problem experienced daily. As if the WICB are totally blameless and a stickler for the rules. One remembers clearly at least six overaged players being sent to represent the West Indies in a World Cup in South Africa bringing shame and disgrace to the region when they had to be hastily replaced. Or when their website, windiescricket.com failed after WICB officials neglected to meet the deadline for renewing the licence for the transmission. Several days passed before the error was noticed.
Again, a media release was sent out naming Carlton Baugh on a West Indies team for the one-day series against South Africa earlier this year when in fact it was Shivnarine Chanderpaul who should have been on the list.

This was blamed on a WICB employee who could not read properly. Even if the forms did reach late, certainly the mere knowledge of all the accredited media operations in Trinidad and Tobago would have sufficed. It may be interesting, but there are those who firmly believe when Adnel “Woody” Richards (a man with a strong background in the media) was Media Liason Officer, all media were treated fairly, and preference was not based on colour of skin or country of origin. We have however, to congratulate the President of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) Dale Enoch for his great effort to sort out this problem. He was in constant contact yesterday with the president of the TTCB, Ellis Lewis and Roger Braithwaite, WI Board CEO. It may be too late for this Test match, but with two one-dayers scheduled for April, change must come and soon. Such change must be transparent and quick. And the first must be the removal of Guyanese Imran Khan from  his perch as “Media Liason Officer.”