WICB criticised over failure to stage meeting

Port of Spain, Aug 23 . Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) vice-president Patrick Rampersad has upbraided West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Dave Cameron for failing to hold a Town Hall meeting on the island.

The WICB Town Hall meetings are held to discuss topics ranging from team selection and player relations to pitch preparation and governance issues.

Rampersad has also taken up the issue with Cameron for refusing to hold the meeting while in Trinidad and Tobago for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final.

Cameron's letter to TTCB reportedly listed "a critical change in my schedule" and "pressing obligations" as the reasons for not being able to facilitate the meeting.

Rampersad has also criticised the WICB for issuing a statement which erroneously stated that Trinidad and Tobago was among the countries which hosted Town Hall meetings.

"In any event, the Town Hall meeting was not held in T&T and to suggest otherwise is misleading at best, and cynical at worst. It was disrespectful and dismissive of the local cricket community. Is it that the views of the local board and the fans and stake-holders are not important," asked Rampersad.

Meanwhile, the WICB issued a statement on Saturday saying efforts to host a meeting in the T&T could not be finalised from as far back as June when the president's office made contact.

The statement referenced a letter from TTCB general secretary Arjoon Ramlal, to WICB dated June 22, stating that affiliates could not agree on a venue for the meeting.

The WICB has said that it remains committed to hosting the meeting in Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago and Leeward Islands are remaining venues to host WICB Town Hall meetings hosted by Cameron and vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan. Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, Guyana and Jamaica have already hosted such meetings in the past.

(IANS)