Suspended West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons may have committed a breach as head coach but that should not result in such a harsh penalty as to suspend him and remove him from the Sri Lankan tour.
Simmons needs the best team available to compete at the international level and not just a team for the sake of going on a cricket field masquerading. West Indies cricket is under the microscope and it seems as if Bangladesh will surpass the West Indies in points in the International Cricket Council’s rating.
He should have been asked to apologize, and allowed to go to Sri Lanka as head coach without any interference to the preparations that took place in Barbados. Simmons recently was appointed head coach and the players and staff had their preparations intact. The suspension of Simmons will have a negative effect on the team. To make the situation worse, the Assistant Coach Stuart Williams was overlooked after the suspension of Phil Simmons.
LLOYD, SIMMONS, HOLDER AGREE FOR PLAYERS’ RETURN
Chief of Selectors Clive Lloyd, suspended Head Coach Phil Simmons and Test and ODI Captain Jason Holder are all in support of bringing back Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard to the One-Day squad. Indications are that Simmons may not be re-instated as coach but if he is, he will be able to gain the respect from players and other staff?
It seems as if Eldine Baptiste was the defactor coach in the hiding. This is not the type of situation that a team comprising of youngsters now establishing themselves into the Test arena should go through.
Managing cricket is different to managing a manufacturing biscuit company. The West Indies Cricket Board is not in a crisis situation because of Phil Simmons statements, the crisis was there before. West Indies selectors are: Clive Lloyd, Courtney Browne, Courtney Walsh, Eldine Baptiste and Phil Simmons.
