Ex-minister calls for Lequay’s head

ALLOY LEQUAY must go as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.

This call was made yesterday by former Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Manohar Ramsaran, the United National Congress Member of Parliament for Chaguanas. He was speaking at the office of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, Cumberbatch Street yesterday at the swearing-in of councillors elected recently in the Local Government Elections. Ramsaran, a keen cricketer, said that since 1986 the Trinidad and Tobago senior team has not won any regional honours. “That is a reflection on the leadership of the organisation and it does not send a strong message about the quality of those that are at the head,” he said. Ramsaran said he was not concerned about the facilities that were being built at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, as part of the Lequay’s organisational thrust in the development and promotion of cricket. He was outspoken on Lequay’s stand on the issue of the selection of a new president of the WICB to suceed Wes Hall. “He embarassed the whole of Trinidad and Tobago by not supporting Willie Rodriguez who today should have been at the helm of West Indies cricket. “Mr Lequay bungled. And I am making an unreserved call for him to quit as the president of the TTCB,” Ramsaran said.

The former Customs and Excise officer was strong in his recommendation for Deryck Murray to be elected the WICB president. “He is very experienced on the playing field and an oustanding cricketer and that apart, he was a grand examplar on and off the cricket field,” said Ramsaran. He added Murray is also an outstanding administrator who is university-trained and has all the qualities to lead the West Indies Cricket Board. “If Lequay wants to be president of Trinidad and  Tobago, then that is alright. But to be president of the Cricket Board he must produce results,” Ramsaran said. “Lequay should do the right thing and resign immediately,” he said. Asked who he had in mind to lead the TTCB, Ramsaran suggested that a new president should be elected by the local cricket fraternity but not from the current executive. Recently Omar Khan, the Corporate Communications Manager of PowerGen, and  manager of the national cricket team this season, had recommended Lequay for the presidency of the WICB. But Lequay said he was not interested since he is focusing on the 2007 World Cup to be staged in the Caribbean.