Clive Lloyd backs local stars

Clive Lloyd backs local stars|Clive Lloyd backs local stars
Former West Indies captain, Sir Clive Lloyd.
Associated Press / Matt Dunham, File

Legendary former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd has lashed out at the snubbing of fellow West Indies icon Desmond Haynes for the post of the men’s team head coach in favor of Englishman Richard Pybus.

He said it is unfortunate that great former players continue to be bypassed for the position.

Speaking in wake of the controversial appointment of Pybus as head coach of the West Indies team, Lloyd said Cricket West Indies had tried foreign coaches over the years without much success and needed to tap into the talent of local stars.

“What I would like to see in the future of our cricket is that people like Gordon Greenidge, who has coached all over the world, and Desmond Haynes given a chance. These guys know about cricket and our cricketers and they are not getting a chance to show what talents they have and I think it is about time we start to do something of that nature,” he said.

He said a lot of overseas coaches have been tried and the West Indies team is still at number eight (in Tests) and number nine (in One-Day Internationals).

Haynes was one of several regional coaches identified by Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams to fill the post left vacant by the resignation of Australian Stuart Law.

The 62-year-old Barbadian batsman, who played 116 Tests and 238 ODIs, worked with the West Indies side as a batting consultant eight years ago in a short stint.

He was overlooked for the vacant head coach position in favor of South African Nic Pothas, who had also been shortlisted, before Pybus — who was not among the shortlisted group approved by CWI.

Lloyd said West Indies cricket is suffering from a lack of strategic planning.

West Indies legendary cricketer Desmond Haynes.
Photo by George Alleyne