Tony Becca, Contributor
WEST INDIES cricket is looking for a president. Nomination closes on August 31, election day is September 30, and the question is who will it be? Will it be Clarvis Joseph of Antigua or Teddy Griffith of Barbados?
Although there is still time for others to enter - including former West Indies wicketkeeper Deryck Murray and former opening batsman and CEO Steve Camacho who, it is understood, are being encouraged to do so by one or two board members, the race is and will be between Joseph and Griffith with Joseph as the front-runner.
The vice president who walked away when Pat Rousseau resigned as president following the bust-up when the board re-hired Ricky Skerritt after he was dismissed as manager of the West Indies team, Joseph, it appears, has the support of the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands, Guyana and Jamaica, and if that remains so, that will be enough to win the election.
WELL EXPERIENCED
According to those supporting Joseph, the St. John's businessman served on the board for a long time, he was a vice-president, and because of that he is well experienced and therefore the ideal man for the job.
Those against Joseph, however, believe that experience is not all and are reminding others of his shortcomings. Joseph, they say, contributed to the problems that led to the bust-up. According to them, Rousseau was too arrogant, too autocratic, Joseph is no different and, regardless of how experienced he is, how good he is, they do not want another president like that.
The real problem for Joseph, however, is this: There are also those who are still against Rousseau, those who have done everything to keep him out of anything to do with West Indies cricket - including the planning for the World Cup, those who know that Rousseau and Joseph are close friends, and those who believe that with Joseph as president, Rousseau will be allowed to pull the strings from behind the scenes.
Although it does not look good for Griffith, September 30 is a long way from now and with the anti-Rousseau/Joseph group working hard behind the scenes, with the fear of revenge in their minds, Griffith is in with a chance and deservedly so.
Griffith, like Joseph, is well experienced in the affairs of West Indies cricket.
Lest it be forgotten, Griffith served for years on the board's marketing committee, he has been like an adviser to the board, he was the one who assisted Rousseau in putting together the Strategic Plan, he has represented the board in matters dealing with the players and the sponsors, and just a few days ago he was in Grand Cayman representing the board at a meeting with main sponsors Cable & Wireless.
There are those who believe that the president of the board should be a businessman and there are those who believe that it should be an ex-player.
All things considered, therefore, including the memory of the problems that led to Joseph's resignation as vice president and the conflicts that could arise with him as president of a board that includes the same people who forced him and Rousseau to resign as a matter of principle, Griffith, a businessman who represented Barbados and Jamaica and who, but for a cancelled tour, almost represented the West Indies, would be the ideal president.
TWO GOOD MEN
Joseph or Griffith? They are two good men. Two men who love West Indies cricket, and hopefully those who will be voting on September 30 will demonstrate their love for West Indies cricket by voting for the one they believe will better serve West Indies cricket.
One reason why Joseph is the front-runner is insularity, and that is not good for West Indies cricket. Griffith is a Barbadian, and despite admitting that he is qualified and would do a good job, there are those who are saying, "we do not want another Bajan".
Hopefully, that will have nothing to do with who becomes the next president of the West Indies Board.
As the West Indies look forward to the climb back to the top - to finding the money to fund the development programmes that will be needed and to the unity that will be necessary, as they look forward to hosting the 2007 World Cup, the next president should be the best man for the job - Barbadian or not.
