Clive Lloyd quits as WICB director

Clive Lloyd has resigned from his role as non-member director of the WICB, after being forced to take sides between the board and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) appointed by the Guyana government to run cricket in the country.

Lloyd is the head of the IMC, which was instituted after the Guyana government locked the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) out of its office premises, following the disputed Guyana board elections in July 2011. The IMC is not recognised by the WICB, which issued Lloyd an ultimatum asking him to choose between the two parties.

"As you are probably aware, I was recently appointed as special advisor on sports to the president of Guyana," Lloyd wrote in his resignation letter addressed to WICB president Julian Hunte. "At the end of last year I was asked by the Government of Guyana to come home and head up an Interim Management Committee on Cricket, as a result of deep-seated problems plaguing the GCB and a ruling from the chief justice.

"Given my standing in the international cricketing world I would have hoped that my decision to answer my country's [Guyana's] call would have signalled a message to you that all was not well with Guyana's cricket and therefore had your support and cooperation. However instead I have found myself caught between my loyalty to my country and loyalty to the WICB.

"After much deliberation, with a sad heart I had no other option but to tender my resignation as director of the board. I hope that my resignation would act as a catalyst for the members of the board to ask soul searching questions and take a hard look at what could be done differently to get our cricket back to the glory days."

Lloyd's letter also touched upon his concerns about the health of the game, in Guyana and in the Caribbean at large. "As one of the most successful West Indian captains in the history of our game, I have to say that I am very concerned not just about the state of cricket in my country but the state of West Indian cricket as a whole - the lack of accountability and consultation and limited discussion about the stagnant state of our cricket."

According to the Trinidad Express, Hunte has since written to Lloyd and accepted the resignation 'with regret'.

"You will recall that we did agree in August 2011 that the IMC would serve as an advisory body to assist the Guyana Cricket Board to reform and restructure," the Trinidad Express quoted from Hunte's letter. "Instead, the IMC has now taken over the functions of the Guyana Cricket Board and purports to act as the legitimate cricketing authority. Having done so and with you as chairman, you can appreciate as had been discussed with you, that it would be untenable that you continue as a director of the WICB."