No reponse for WI's pleas
by Tony Cozier in Perth
THE players are pleading but the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) doesn't appear to be listening. Captain Jimmy Adams yesterday repeated the need for a special motivator to lift his beleagured team, first made after the defeat in the first Test in Brisbane, but said no action had been taken. "It is something the management team has seen the need for but, in terms of what happens with the manager getting in touch with the Board, I haven't heard of a decision being made at that level yet," Adams said after the second innings loss within three days in the second Test here. "It is something all of us have agreed on, the whole management team," he added. "I'll be trying to find out from the manager what the situation is but a final decision hasn't been made yet. That has to be sanctioned between manager and Board." "The situation" is staggering. Certainly by now, the WICB should have made a final determination on whether or not to meet the players' request and appoint what it calls a "performance consultant". Adams pointed out that there was little time to regroup prior to the third Test, starting in Adelaide December 15. "Within a few days, we're going to be in Tasmania (for the four-day match against Australia A) and the whole ball game starts again," he said. "It's all about getting out there and getting stuck in, trying to get yourself mentally and physically prepared for another Test match in two weeks time." After Adams' initial plea for someone to help with the mental preparation, president Pat Rousseau indicated the WICB would accede to any request but made it plain he personally did not agree with it. "I don't think that it's a good pattern to develop," he said. "We feel that the motivation should come from within the team through the leadership of the captain, coach and manager." Australian captain Steve Waugh alluded to the necessity for the West Indies to maintain their confidence. "They've got to stay upbeat and believe in themselves and that's going to be the hardest thing to do," he said.
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