by Carlena Knight
Cricketing Legend Sir Vivian Richards has shared his disappointment over the West indies Men team’s inability to qualify for the ongoing T20 Men’s World Cup.
The two-time ICC World Cup winner was speaking on the Good Morning JoJo Sports show when he revealed that he was in fact shocked by his former team, a team which under his tutelage as captain that never lost a test series, couldn’t get over the hump.
“Really, really disappointing. I honestly felt that they would have fought their way out of the qualifying stages and get themselves into the Super 12, but it didn’t look good at all. I think the great Ricky Puntin put it as clear as possible in terms of what he knows of the unit in itself, it’s supposed to be our best so-called opportunity for us to win something at international level. It’s a team that shows that kind of prospect.
“This is where I think we had geared ourselves that if we are going to win anything it would be the T20. Everything was basically based upon that and, because of those things, I am very, very disappointed. You might say it was just a disgraceful, disgraceful performance,” Richards said.
After suffering defeats against Scotland and Ireland, West Indies failed to make the T20 World Cup for the first time.
Following the shocking development, Head Coach of the team Phil Simmons announced he would be stepping down after the upcoming two-Test series against Australia from November 30th to December 12th.
Simmons has had a tumultuous history in that position over the years.
He was first appointed West Indies coach after the 2015 World Cup, but was later suspended and then fired despite his team’s hoisting of the first-place trophy in 2016.
Three years later, he was reappointed in October 2019 and since then has been at the helm despite a number of calls for him to resign in several series.
The Master Blaster, while not speaking specifically to his resignation, touched on what he believes the CWI should be looking for in their search for a new coach.
He said that the person should have a great understanding of what the institution stands for and represents.
“No disrespect to any of the individuals around, but I think that’s what’s lacking in a big way — individuals who do not quite have the experience. I think that is something huge and I think we have to also start getting the younger individuals involved.
“I honestly think that, sometimes, individuals want to create their own environment but know there is a structure, there is a particular path which would have led to those successes for West Indies cricket, and we have got to lean on that in a big way,” he added.
West Indies will not play any white ball cricket until a full tour of South Africa in February-March next year.
