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CWI president backs Windies players


Bangladeshpost
Published : 26 Jan 2021 09:04 PM

Agencies

Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt refused to question the commitment of the players who made themselves unavailable for the Bangladesh tour. 

Leading players including white-ball skipper Kieron Pollard pulled out of the tour, forcing selectors to pick an inexperienced squad. On expected lines, the visitors were blanked 3-0 in the ODI series with Bangladesh winning all three games in comprehensive fashion.

While stressing on the need to grow the passion amongst the players, Skerritt left the task of judging their commitment to the selectors. “Passion is critical for our future,” Skerritt told Cricbuzz. 

“There is actually plenty of passion around. But we need to cultivate it, grow it, and harvest it better going forward.

“Commitment to West Indies cricket is a very personal quality that I cannot judge for somebody else, including cricketers. The selectors will learn to do that appropriately as we go along. We respect the fact that individual experiences in a health-bubble environment, and Covid 19 fears and concerns, are also very personal to the players who are being given the benefit of any doubt.”

However Skerritt sympathised with the players who pulled out citing financial concerns in uncertain times. “These are challenging times financially, and as far as possible players should be facilitated to pursue income options in an amicable and constructive manner,” he pointed out. “So we have made no attempt to straight-jacket any of them during the pandemic, or to determine how genuine their health risk concerns may be.”

Skerritt also stressed that the experience of playing in the T10 tournament might come in handy for West Indies in the future and revealed that the players will be back home in time to participate in the domestic season. 

“We do not have a T10 team or tournament of our own as yet. This tournament should be a good experience for them,” he said. 

“We have made sure that this T10 does not clash with the Bangladesh white ball series or our own needs at home. We have also made certain that all T10 players will be home for the start of our own domestic season.”