Gordon honoured to be chosen WICB president

Ken Gordon has said that he is "grateful and honoured" that he will be the new president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). But he preferred to wait until the position is confirmed at the August 7 WICB annual general meeting in St Maarten before he makes any comment on West Indies cricket.

The election of a president and vice-president will be the main items on the agenda at next month's AGM. Gordon, who was nominated to the post left vacant by outgoing president Teddy Griffith by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, was the sole nominee when nominations for the WICB presidency closed Thursday evening.

That was confirmed by WICB corporate communications officer Leonard Robertson, who also stated that there were two nominees for the post of vice-president. The choice will be between Valentine Banks of Anguilla and Clive Lloyd of Guyana.

Gordon's nomination was seconded by the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA), while support for his nomination was also offered by the Windward Islands Cricket Association (WICA) and the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA). Last month, two of Gordon's opponents, former WICB president Pat Rousseau of Jamaica and former WICB director Tony Marshall of Barbados, withdrew their nominations.

When Gordon is confirmed as WICB president next month, he will be at the helm of the regional association for, at least, the next two years and will oversee the West Indies' staging of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, the first time the event will be hosted in this region.

Gordon will also have to tackle the ongoing dispute and impasse between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over sponsorship fees and retainer contracts. There are a maximum of 14 votes at the AGM, two each representing the six territorial boards, and the other votes from president and vice-president.

Other items on the agenda include the consideration of Financial Statements and Report of the Directors and Auditors for the year ended September 30, 2004 and the election of directors nominated by members. The meeting, Robertson stated, "may also consider any other business that has properly come before it."

On the day prior to the AGM, the directors of the WICB will hold their third regular meeting for 2005.