Testers ‘off target'

Ricky Skerritt does not believe his work during the last 15 months was adequately evaluated, but the reinstated West Indies manager admits there were some shortcomings within the team set-up.

Additionally, Skerritt says he has received clarity on the way forward, which has resulted in changes ahead of the West Indies' upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya.

My management style is exactly that it is my management style. It really hasn't been scrutinised properly, he said yesterday just before departing for London en route to Zimbabwe.

I'm prepared to have it scrutinised properly at any time. If that happens and we identify weaknesses then we are going to definitely work on them.

Skerritt, intransit at the Grantley Adams International Airport with the majority of the 16-man squad, was speaking of the decision by the then West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau and vicepresident Clarvis Joseph to sack him.

That decision was rescinded after it met with opposition from WICB directors at the annual general meeting two weekends ago.

I have, on my own steam, and with some of my colleagues, identified generally areas of weakness that we need to work on, Skerritt said.

That is an ongoing process. It hasn't happened because of the last two weeks.

We continue to find areas for improvement and continue to work on them, but I don't think this is about me as it has been made into.

On his reinstatement, Skerritt stressed that he needed clarity on the way forward and after a series of meetings with a committee of four WICB members, along with chief finance officer Richard Jodhan, in Port-of-Spain last Friday, he was at ease.

There were some perceptions which had to be clarified and there were some requirements which had been somewhat non-functional because of the reality in the field, the West Indies manager said.

Once I was heard on those areas, the board committee realised that there were some changes that needed to be made.

We listened to each other and we came out of it understanding clearly that the situation wasn't anything to shout about.

The events of the last few weeks, which commanded widespread public attention, unfolded while a 22-man squad was in camp in Trinidad.

Skerritt was absent for the first phase of the exercise and team captain Carl Hooper admitted there was some effect on the players.

We tried not to get involved with too much of what was happening. Obviously it had a little effect. The guys rallied around and we enjoyed it, Hooper said.

It was not only the manager being sacked but we had a situation where the president and the vice-president resigned, so obviously it would have an effect on some of the players.

Skerritt, who was in contact with Hooper before the start of the camp, said things went smoothly once he joined the team.

It was relatively trouble-free for me to reintegrate into the situation, he said.

I have some personal introspection that has gone on, but I continue to believe in the talent around me and in the management team I am working with and I continue to be confident about the future for West Indies cricket. That won't change because of what happened in the last two weeks.

The tour, the first by a senior West Indies side to Zimbabwe, starts on Sunday with a limited overs-match against the CFX Academy in Harare.

It will be followed by a triangular One-Day International series in which the West Indies' first match against Zimbabwe is slated for June 23. India is the third team in the tournament.

West Indies will then oppose Zimbabwe in two Tests the first in Harare from July 19-23 and the second in Bulawayo from July 27-31 before moving to Kenya in early August.