Minister of National Security in T&T, Gary Griffith says that the decline in West Indies cricket has little to do with talent but more to do with poor administration.The former hockey player who was on the Technical Staff of the West Indies World T20 team in England a few years ago made his feelings known concerning the dumping of T&T's Dwayne Bravo as captain. He said: "The gradual decline of West Indies cricket has little to do with lack of talent, but rather poor administration and management, and this latest fiasco emphasizes the point.
"The West Indies Cricket Board has the audacity to attempt to undermine the intelligence of the millions of fans of West Indies cricket by trying to pick a scab team for the upcoming 2015 World Cup and drop several starting eleven players, not because of form or talent, but because they stood up against blatant incompetence and disrespect to the team."They then try to add insult to injury by again disrespecting our intelligence by saying that they did not pick the squad, but this was done by the selection panel, who by the way were selected by the WICB.
"This blatant bias, victimisation and vindictiveness by those with little knowledge or success in the sport who hold administrative positions is what is killing West Indies cricket and the present WICB has continued on this path of self destruction of our prime regional sport.
"This is not the first time that administrators and pen pushers with their personal agenda have caused us to be defeated before the first ball is bowled, as we simply need to recall the highly questionable and ill timed exit from cricket by the then captain Brian Lara, which was not because he was past his prime, but because, yet again, as a result of issues pertaining to the WICB, causing the loss of the greatest player in the sport at the time.
"Why must we continue to have a mediocre team represent our region, time and time again, and our top players are given a raw deal over and over, whereby when they attempt to represent and rightfully stand up for the rights of the rest of the team, they are victimised by vindictive administrators, some of whom, probably never even played in a windball cricket match on a beach, but believe that they can control West Indies cricket based on their dictatorial actions.
"I wish to fully endorse the statements made by prime minister Ralph Gonsales. It is indeed nothing more than village vengeance, with the kangaroo court being the West Indies selectors who were singing for their supper, and selecting a team not based on talent but to ensure that a scab team would be selected to adhere to the wishes and orders of the WICB."