Stephenson: I should be coach

Describing himself as the most suitably qualified man in the region to do the job, a former widely experienced professional cricketer has boldly come out and said he should be coach of the embattled West Indies team.

"I would do that job for three months without pay and show you a difference, Franklyn Stephenson told sunsport yesterday in the aftermath of another crushing Test defeat.

"I'm in a job that I'm very happy in. There is no job like it. I said I was finished with travelling, but I would travel to help those fellas."

The 41-year-old Stephenson, who has gained tremendous admiration as a professional cricketer in England, South Africa and Australia, applied for the coaching position that eventually went to Roger Harper in spite of the fact that he did not hold an advanced level coaching certificate.

Stephenson is the holder of the junior and senior certificates, and he explained to the West Indies Cricket Board that time constraints had made it difficult for him to complete the advanced level.

"My qualifications after that are more than anyone else's because nobody in the West Indies has ever won more trophies around the world than I have," he said.

During the 1980s, he twice won Player-Of-The-Year awards in the English County championship in which he once achieved the rare double of-1000 runs and 100 wickets for Nottinghamshire. He was also Player-Of-The-Year in South Africa on one occasion.

"I have done things in cricket that no other West Indian has ever come close to doing," he said.

Qualifications

"Those are my qualifications-my successful record, my fitness and my drive."

Stephenson said it was disturbing to see the same players repeatedly making the same mistakes.

"Every person in that team is going to go backwards because the atmosphere and the team morale is not conducive to cricket," he said.

"They need somebody with a portfolio, someone whom they look up to.

"I can not only tell them, but show them what I am talking about - the answers about bowling, the techniques of batting, the art of getting started, playing yourself in and advancing."

He referred to 21-year-old opening batsman Daren Ganga who he said displayed a solid technique on his debut tour to South Africa two years ago.

"He played really straight in South Africa, but he hasn't made any adjustments or improvements to his game because there is no one around-him to take him that step further," Stephenson said.

Stephenson also said it was unacceptable for the team to crash for a paltry first innings total of 82.

"If the Combined Schools had walked out there, they would get more than 82. That team has no discipline and no morale right now," he said.

"They have got to get people who know cricket to run cricket out there."