Caribbean Times 90th Issue - Monday 12th September 2016

Monday 12th September 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 17
Legendary cricketer Sir Viv backs
professionalism of the WICB
By Vanroy Burnes
Legendary West Indies
cricketer, Sir Vivian Richards
said that he is in full
support of a move to fully
professionalize the running
of the West Indies Cricket
Board (WICB) with the directors
becoming full time
paid employees.
Sir Viv who is regarded
as the best batsman ever
to play the game of cricket
and the only West Indies test
captain never to lose a series
was speaking on the Observer
Radio’s sport show Good
Morning Jo Jo on Thursday
of last week.
Sir Viv who is one of
two living national heroes in
Antigua & Barbuda said the
Trinidad and Tobago’s Cleopatra
Borel placed 6th in the IAAF Diamond
League Finals, held in Brussels, Belgium
over the weekend.
At the last meeting of the Diamond
League for the 2016 Season, Borel
started the competition with a throw
of 17.09m, gaining momentum with a
17.22m on her second throw, and then
fouling on her third try. She regained
composure with a 17.16m in the 4th
Round, after which she increased to
17.46m in Round 5 before closing off
with her biggest throw for the event at
17.59m.
American powerhouse, Michelle
Carter continued her winning streak
from her gold medal placing at the Rio
2016 Olympic Games by placing first
at the Belgium competition yesterday,
whole circuit has become
professional and if you have
guys making decision for
professional players who are
paid handsomely, then I see
no problem with them getting
a suitable stipend.
Sir Viv said such a move
mean that those working for
the WICB would be held to
a much higher standard than
they are currently where accountability
is concern. He
noted that it’s about the people
who would have made
certain decisions in the past
and who would have put us
in certain positions and embarrasses
us.
In the meantime, former
president of the West
Indies Cricket Board Ken
Gordon has renewed his call
for CARICOM to conduct a
forensic audit of the WICB
which he believes could
avert its demise. The former
president first made the call
in July.
His renewed call came
in the light of the WICB’s
refusal to accept the latest
CARICOM proposal for reform,
according to Gordon,
a forensic audit of the WICB
is timely and a major part of
bringing transparency to the
WICB, he noted that West
Indies Cricket belongs to the
people and not to the WICB.
The Dave Cameron led
WICB rejected recommendations
for reform contained
in a report compiled
followed by New Zealand’s Valerie
Adams in second place, and Hungary’s
Anita Marton rounding off the winner’s
circle in the third spot.
While Borel received 10 points
and landed 6th, it was Valerie Adams
who topped the overall Diamond Race
standings with 33 points.
“The (Brussels) Diamond League
meet was really amazing for myself
and I’m sure all the other shotputters;
it’s the 40th Anniversary of this meet
so they really went all out. Cleo also
stated that the meet really helped her to
understand and revitalise my love for
throwing.
“So while there’s talk about me
retiring, I’m really excited to go into
the (French) DécaNations Meet next
weekend, as well as excited for 2017.”
by CARICOM Government
Review panel which calls for
the immediate dissolution of
the WICB and to appoint an
interim committee. Gordon
is urging CAIRCOM to fund
the audit since it would be
an entire legitimate exercise,
However the WICB said it
has hired the global consultants
Price Water House
Coopers and KPMG to conduct
the audit operations.
Another former WICB
President Pat Rousseau who
led the board from 1996 to
2001 has supported Gordon’s
call, Rousseau go further
to say that laws needed
to be introduced to monitor
sporting bodies across the
region.
Borel places 6th in Brussels Diamond League Final
says the reigning Pan American Games
Champion. “There’s still more Cleo to
come.”
Cleopatra will travel to France early
next week, in preparation for the
upcoming DécaNations showdown in
Marseille.