FORMER Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) PRESIDENT Deryck Murray said he would only serve in an interim capacity as president of the CWI once conditions were appropriate and specific.
Murray was speaking on the Mason and Guest program earlier this week. Responding to a question from the host, cricket commentator Andrew Mason on whether he would serve at the helm given that incumbent Ricky Skerritt is not expected to go beyond his current second term.
“At this age!?” Murray cursed before adding, “this is really the work of a young man alive. I would take on any type of temporary role if specified; if it is temporary and it is 18 months.
“You do something and you end up having a kind of choice with the kind of parameters for dividing the roles between cricketers, doctors, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, financiers and whatever you need and you put it in 18 months.”
Murray added that he would only be interested in being part of a group of people doing an interim job that would act as a transition to leave West Indies cricket in a stronger position. “But I’m not looking in the current circumstances to run for election tomorrow to try to vote in a position, which is a position of weakness,” Murray explained.
Murray said nepotism and cronyism were the order of the day at CWI level and one of the main reasons for the lack of progress with the game in the region.
“We talk about being disappointed with the players, but we can take a step back and say how disappointing the coaches, the medical staff and so on (are)…look how many people are unfit, people can’t play two test match. consecutively.
“So it’s everything, it’s not just the finances that are in a mess or it’s not just the coach or the coach…there’s nothing that has merit attached to it and that every person in every position is responsible and that’s what you need reach,” noted the former West Indies vice-captain and wicketkeeper.
He said a combination of elements from previous reports such as the Barriteau and Patterson reports could be used to create a new way forward.
Murray said unfortunately the Skerritt administration had proved as disappointing as the previous one, failing to deliver on promises to implement effective change from the most recent report, the Wehby report.
“…Just to run for president of the TTCB or the CWI under the terms of whatever is incorporated, I’m not sure many people would rush into that,” surmised Murray.
He said fundamental changes in outlook and functioning – in relation to territorial boards and school cricket associations etc. – need to be undertaken. – to make it a workable unified process from cradle to international status.
