Viv Richards critical of ‘rotten’ West Indies Cricket Board

Sport360 staff 23:17 29/10/2015
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  • Viv Richards never lost a Test series as West Indies captain.

    Viv Richards has expressed his sympathy towards suspended coach Phil Simmons after describing the West Indies Cricket Board as “rotten”.

    The WICB last month took the drastic step to bar Simmons from the tour of Sri Lanka following his public criticism of selection.

    Simmons claimed he was blocked from picking all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard for the one-day international leg of the tour, despite support from chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd.

    Bravo and Pollard have not played an ODI since last October’s controversial series against India – when Bravo was captain of the squad which prematurely pulled out of the tour amid a pay dispute with the WICB.

    Simmons took over as coach earlier this year, overseeing a 1-1 draw against England in his first Test series in charge, but has since seen the West Indies fail to qualify for the Champions Trophy for the first time.

    Richards agreed the absence of key players had contributed to that but, while the 63-year-old has lamented the WICB’s role, he is wary of isolating it as the root of the problem.

    Richards famously never lost a Test series as West Indies captain but suggested that all-conquering team of the 1980s encountered the same sort of off-field problems as the current team.

    “When you have a board that have had various issues off the field – it is pretty hard to deal with,” he said.

    “I would have had the same sort of problems – it’s just some rotten administration.

    Last week another former Windies captain, Garfield Sobers, lamented the decline of Caribbean cricket during an emotional speech.

    Sobers questioned the loyalty of modern players in an era where the riches of the Indian Premier League have been embraced before the West Indies team.

    “Sometimes guys make decisions for themselves,” Sobers said. “Making those decisions – you stick by them, I guess.”

    Despite West Indian cricket being held back by a myriad of issues, Richards remains hopeful the world-beating years of the 1970s and 1980s can be rediscovered.

    “I get people (saying it’s time to break away from the WICB), but maybe that’s because of the frustration that people feel,” Richards, a proud Antiguan who still lives on an island famed for its 365 beaches, said.

    “Seeing some of the things that have played out is frustrating and I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I still believe we can be a united force in order for us to compete – as long as the folks who administer can be united.

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