Sports Page — In a dramatic revelation live on the Mason & Guests show here in Barbados last night, host Andrew Mason revealed that the WICB have decided to sack all three of its international captains.
Those captains are Denesh Ramdin (Test), Dwayne Bravo (ODI) and Darren Sammy (T20). They are to be replaced in the Test arena by Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder in both one-day formats.
In addition, Andrew Mason revealed that Joel Garner is to be named the Manager of the WI team to tour South Africa.
Quoting information from a ‘very significant and reliable source from within the WICB’, Mason outlined that, following a lengthy meeting by the Board today, the decision had been taken to renege on the ‘no victimization’ position that had been agreed in a meeting this previous weekend between representatives of the WICB, the WIPA, representatives of the striking players, and all parties’ legal advisors.
The conciliatory talks were mediated by the St Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, in a hope to find a mutually equitable way forward for WI cricket, without recriminations.
This now appears to have been rejected by the WICB.
Monday night the TTCB announced the sacking of Denesh Ramdin, who according to the striking Players’ legal representative, Ralph Thorne, was prevented from practising with T&T last Friday – ahead of notification of his sacking as captain – in favour of team-mate, Rayad Emrit.
On Twitter tonight, Dinanath Ramnarine has suggested that Emrit has refused the offer of the captaincy, who he says “does not want the captaincy in these circumstances.”
Roger Sant, who is well-placed in T&T as Sports Director of CNC3 TV, has replied on Twitter saying “TTCB CEO, Suruj Ragoonath denies that Rayad Emrit has declined the captaincy of the national team”.
Tonight, we have heard that all 3 captains involved in the decision to abandon the tour to India last month are to be sacked – a decision that will be ratified in a further meeting of the Board on Thursday.
It is understood that WICB President, Dave Cameron wished to see the dismissal of Bravo and Sammy, but was reluctant to remove Ramdin. The feelings of his fellow Board members have held sway.
A phone-line guest on tonight’s Mason & Guests, on which the news was broken, was Dr Gonsalves himself. When Andrew Mason revealed the news of the sackings to him, Gonsalves replied “I can’t believe that… that would be absurd!”
He further commented that TTCB’s sacking of Ramdin as captain was a “breach of what had been agreed on” by the meeting, and Dave Cameron. The PM’s opinion was that “if the Board has gone against what we agreed upon, Dave Cameron has no alternative but to resign.” He insisted that “the Board had agreed that there would be no victimization.”
When the PM was pushed by the show’s co-host, David Oram to explain what his own personal position would be if such were the case – having put in so much time, effort and good-will – he said he would move from being the mediator, to being “an outspoken critic” of the Board.
He described the about-face by Cameron and the Board as “dishonourable”.