Lloyd begins drive for WICB presidency cricket legend says he’s answering the call

West Indies’ legendary former captain Clive Lloyd has thrown his hat into the ring as one of the contenders to become the next president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). With the WICB due to keep its annual general meeting on March 27, Lloyd has decided, after numerous calls, to offer his candidacy for the top post in regional cricket. Current president Dr Julien Hunte has decided to battle for an unprecedented fourth term, while his vice-president 

Dave Cameron is also vying for the top post, after it was agreed that he would take over from Dr Hunte, who previously indicated that he was not going to return. Lloyd, who skippered the greatest-ever West Indies cricket team and the man who has been credited with the turnaround of West Indies cricket in the late 1970s, gave an exclusive interview to the T&T Guardian yesterday stating: “Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people who have asked me to offer myself for the post of president of the WICB. 

“I considered their views carefully and finally decided that I can no more ignore a call to duty now than I did many years ago when I was asked to captain the West Indies cricket team.” The highly regarded cricketing icon continued: “I am primarily a West Indian national and patriot and will do anything to help our region, not just in cricket but in all areas of development and also to bring our countries closer together.  “Cricket is one of the great unifying forces in West Indian history and culture. My record speaks for itself, and was able to put together a team of people from the West Indies and get them to rise above all adversities and we believe that the time has come once again for West Indies to become united again.

“I have been intimately linked with West Indies cricket as a player, manager, coach and director and know the extent to which our path to the pinnacle of world cricket now needs someone who has played at the highest levels, has worked closely with the ICC in the development of the game, and in my role as a match referee could be objective and attain the respect of everyone involved in the game. “At the same time, I have worked with regional governments, sponsors and the territorial boards, the ICC and all the key stakeholders to get more involved in mobilising resources and support for our cricket.”

The man also known as “Super Cat” said he was not criticising anyone but thinks he has a plan to take the game forward in the region.  “I am not condemning or criticising anyone, but I believe strongly that unless you have experienced cricket at the highest levels you cannot fully understand what you need to do to lift the West Indian game back to the top where my team took it in the seventies. 

“Many of my colleagues became disenchanted and took up other pursuits. I believe that winning is a habit that is ingrained in them and I guarantee that I will get all the greats back into the game providing not just expertise but also example. “What I will do is develop a judicious mix of cricketing and business expertise to take us forward into a future where cricket, which is now a billion-dollar business, will become a trillion-dollar business. We should not just capitalise on the opportunities but use the money wisely to get to the top and stay at the top.

“What is hurting and hampering us now is inconsistency. We need the leadership both at the board, management and player level that will build on a solid platform of support and incrementally rise to the top. “The board needs cricket-focused leadership who are not into quick fixes and who realise that time, effort and discipline will get us there. “Most of all, and everyone knows me well enough to know that I am a listener and I try to involve people. The future of our cricket must be inclusive and not exclusive—we need to bring people together and not alienate anyone who wants to take the game forward. We have to stand for unity and not disintegration. 

“My role as president, if elected, would be to bring together all the forces and interest groups that will all play a key role in taking our cricket forward. I will harness all the different forces, as I did before, and have them work in one common cause—getting our cricket back to the pinnacle of world cricket.”