T&T cricket board disappointed at Bravo, Pollard omissions

(Trinidad Express) Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) first vice-president Dr Allen Sammy confirmed that the local body was disappointed with the omission of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the West Indies World Cup side but said the territorial board had full confidence in the choices of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) selectors.

During the official launch of the NAGICO Super50 series at the TTCB headquarters in Balmain, Couva yesterday, Sammy read a prepared statement from TTCB president Azim Bassarath which outlined the roles of the TTCB directors on the WICB in regard to the team selection.

The statement said that the directors are independent directors and not territorial representatives of the TTCB on the WICB.

It also stated that the WICB is mandated to appoint a senior selection panel and an exhaustive process involving territorial boards is undertaken before directors vote on the final appointments to the said panel.

The Board then provides guidelines and criteria for appointments to a squad in the three different formats of the game and when squads are selected, they are submitted to the Board for noting and that it is not within the remit of the directors to make any changes to selected teams as this is the full responsibility of the selectors.

The statement said that: “While the TTCB has full confidence in the ability of Messrs Bravo and Pollard to represent the West Indies in the 50-Over format of the game, it would be a violation of the practice to question the selectors on the omission of these names for the February/March World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.”

Sammy also insisted that the TTCB was not adopting a hands-off approach.

Asked if the local board was in support of the reasons given by chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd over the omission of Bravo and Pollard from the World Cup squad, Sammy said: “The TTCB has not met to discuss what Lloyd said.”

“This statement makes absolutely clear our position and this is not only our position, it is the position of all the territorial boards with respect to questioning the wisdom of the selectors,” Sammy explained.

“You are aware that if there were 20 different people in a room, they will pick 20 different squads. Those people are all former Test cricketers and we place a lot of faith in them and we will not normally question, at least publicly, the choices they make,” he added.

Asked if the TTCB was disappointed with the omission of Bravo and Pollard, Sammy said: “The TTCB would have liked to see Bravo and Pollard on the team. “Any territorial board where there is an omission of people who are considered high-class players, naturally the territorial board will be disappointed.

“We are disappointed too but we are guided by certain codes of ethics and practices and we will not want to be a maverick and break away and make comments contrary to the codes and practices that are in existence” Sammy added.