Rousseau stays put (10 November 1998)

10 November 1998

Rousseau stays put

By Garth Wattley

He had just announced sweeping reversals to his board's decisions last week that included the firing of the West Indies captain Brian Lara and vice-captain Carl Hooper and the fining of seven other players. But yesterday in London, West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau insisted it was not time for him to go.

I don't think in the circumstances that is necessary really," Rousseau told reporters.

"I don't think it advances anything."

Rousseau's comments came after he described the incident that led to the week-long dispute between the Board and the players-Hooper and Lara-as a "misunderstanding."

But questions are still being asked in the Caribbean about the circumstances that led to the WICB's announcement last Tuesday of the sacking of Hooper and Lara.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Alloy Lequay yesterday disputed Rousseau's claim that the decision to sack the pair was unanimous.

"In the meeting, there were hardliners and there were moderates. And I am satisfied that our (T&T) members (Richard De Souza and Ellis Lewis) were among the moderates," Lequay said.

"I am not aware how Mr Rousseau arrived at the term unanimous," the TTCB boss continued.

"To have something unanimous, you must take a vote to determine that everybody is supportive of what took place. On this occasion no vote was taken. And he arrived at a consensus because of the discussions which he captured around the table."

The dispute also drew comment from two prominent Caribbean personalities.

Viv Richards, former West Indies captain initially acknowledged that some of the issues in contention have been concerns of players over a period of time. But he expressed concern about those player issues assuming greater importance than the cause of Caribbean cricket.

"What we have at present is a little bit of more concern than what we had in the past," Richards said in a CanaRadio interview.

"We hope that something that is as big as what West Indies cricket is to Caribbean people and to so many people who support West Indies cricket all over the world, that everything can be resolved. We do not need our names to be dragged around the world like this at this stage, it's very disappointing.

Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur shared Richards's concerns about the damage done to the image of the West Indian nation by the standoff.

"It is a tragedy for the Caribbean that we have the business of West Indies cricket having to be determined in hotel rooms in London," Arthur said yesterday.

And while circumspect about commenting on the impasse, the Barbados PM was critical of Lara's performance in the issue in his capacity of West Indies captain.

"The West Indies cricket captain is not just a player. He is part of The Management structure of West Indies cricket not just a player," the Prime Minister began.

"Therefore," Arthur continued, "he must conceive of his relationship with West Indies cricket in that wider sense. I can't therefore understand the sense in which he could have been invited to participate (in a meeting) as a member of The Management system and did not see it as a duty and an obligation to attend.

"I quite frankly feel personally that by refusing to exercise that responsibility that Mr Lara effectively severed his role as West Indies captain. That should be the non-negotiable aspect of this entire matter."

Arthur stressed however that, "I like Lara as a player. I still feel he has a future as a player in West Indies cricket. But he must understand that the role of captain of the West Indies cricket team imposes obligations on him to be part of The Management."

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister was moved to say that, "this episode has not done a credit to the leadership of West Indies cricket in my view and his role in that leadership.

"I hope that never again will the people of the Caribbean have to be put through such dangerous foolishness."

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)