Sport

Previous coaches were scapegoats, says angry Viv

Sir Viv Richards... "had we been given the same opportunities that we see now, I would have been much prouder, I would have been much happier." - File

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SIR VIVIAN RICHARDS has lamented the fact that previous West Indies team coaches were not given the same power that has been handed to Australian, Bennett King.

As a result, the former chairman of West Indies selectors said that it was difficult to gauge the performances of the coaches that had preceded King, who was appointed ahead of the VB Triangular Series in Australia.

Much prouder

"The problem that we have ... if we had maybe those same West Indians involved (being) given the same opportunities that we see now, I would have been much prouder, I would have been much happier," Richards told a press conference yesterday.

"Then at least we could have said that Roger Harper 'he was given all the instruments to work with' and if he would have failed then we would have known why."

He continued: "We would have seen Gus Logie, if he had been given the instruments to work with as well and my little stint when I went to New Zealand ... if we were given a free hand, I think we would have been in much better shape."

Cricket 'supremo

King was appointed West Indies coach last year after the West Indies Cricket Board parted ways with Gus Logie by mutual consent, after the Trinidadian had led the team to their conquest in the ICC Champions Trophy in England last year.

King was branded as the new cricket "supremo" because as a member of the selection panel, he would possess the casting vote and have the final say on the selection of the team.

"Some of the things you see being addressed now like giving total control to an individual, those are some of the things I think were missing in the past," Sir Viv explained.

"If we had these in the past, we would have known whether our coaches were capable or not of handling the job."