The position of head coach of the T&T Red Force appears to be vacant after the T&T Cricket Board’s official Facebook page posted an application late on Thursday afternoon encouraging those interested to become T&T senior team next head coach to apply by visiting its website to apply for the position.
The Facebook post stated “Job vacancy” and directed applicants to visit the board’s website. However, the post has left current T&T Red Force head coach Mervyn Dillon baffled. In an immediate reaction, Dillon was asked by Guardian Media Sports whether he was fired or had left the post as head coach, to which he responded, “No I haven’t left the job. What I can do is comment tomorrow because it was news to me that the job is being advertised. The person even told me that they were surprised because the job has never been advertised.”
Dillon says he will be able to divulge more information following his meeting with the board today. He was hired as the new Red Force coach in January 2019 replacing Kelvin Williams.
Dillon recently led the Red Force team to a second-place finish in the 2020 Regional 4-Day tournament with the competition having been ended prematurely because of the novel coronavirus. In what can be considered his first full season with the team, in the eight matches played, Dillon’s side won three, lost two and drew three accumulating 94.6 points across the season.
The news comes a month after a rift emerged with the head coach and Red Force senior player Denesh Ramdin. The feud started with Ramdin going public saying that Dillon did not want him on the T&T team. The wicketkeeper was dropped from the Red Force team for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes clash after the team's massive loss to Barbados, where scored a ‘pair’ of ducks. Dillon responded by saying he was not getting the required commitment from the West Indies player. The issue went before the board and was subsequently dealt with as both men resolved the matter.