Former players welcome Lloyd as chief selector

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Former West Indies cricketers Deryck Murray and Michael Findlay have expressed support for the decision by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to appoint former captain Clive Lloyd to the post of chairman of selectors.

But both Murray and Findlay have insisted that Lloyd's appointment alone will not be enough to take West Indies cricket back to the top of world cricket.

"I welcome the move but I think the public needs to have a little bit of patience," Murray told the Express.

"I hope that he will focus a lot more on the development of our young players. Although his role is to select the West Indies international team from the present crop, to me the future well-being of West Indies cricket is in our youth policy and how we impart the fundamentals of the game to our youth cricketers."

Murray also noted the changes to the selection panel were a good move and a step in the right direction.

However, he said the future of the game does not only depend on selecting a team, but on preparing future players for the international arena.

"There needs to be other measures to move West Indies cricket forward. If we are to get back to number one or two, that is not an overnight process," said Murray.

"That involves polices that have to be put in place and resources that have to be properly distributed, and those resources are not purely financial, but actual persons you put to look after the players and to coach and mentor our young players."

Lloyd was announced last Saturday as the new head of selectors, replacing fellow Guyanese Clyde Butts.

He will be joined by fast bowling legend and former Windies captain, Courtney Walsh, along with ex-West Indies players Eldine Baptiste and Courtney Browne.

"I think with his experience, his quality of leadership and his exposure to cricket at all levels, he will bring to the selection committee that kind of thinking that is needed at this stage in West Indies cricket," said Findlay of Lloyd, who brings a long résumé to his new post, having also served as team manager, coach and West Indies Cricket Board director, since his retirement from the game.

"People must understand that changes to the selection committee will not necessarily bring about changes to the fortunes of West Indies cricket immediately, because Clive Lloyd will have the same panel of player to select from. The problem in West Indies cricket is much deeper than that."