The WICB is writing to the players to convey these decisions and will issue a release on the matter once these letters have been received.

Meantime, the WICB agreed on a number of recommendations that are considered critical to the continued operation and development of the Shell Cricket Academy

These recommendations were to be discussed with Dr Rudi Webster, director of the Shell Cricket Academy, and Dr Ted Hollis, dean of St Georges University, prior to the just concluded meeting of the WICB.

“This meeting did not take place because of the recent illness of Dr Webster,” Rev. Wes Hall, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, told a news conference at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel here yesterday.

“The WICB at its directors’ meeting on Saturday agreed to still seek a meeting with Dr Hollis and another representative of the St George’s University at the earliest opportunity.”

Rev. Hall also rejected assertions that West Indies was trying to copy the Australian style of cricket by inviting coaches from that country to tutor, but felt there was much to learn from the world champions.

“We would never wish to lose the West Indian flair of playing cricket and I recall on the last tour of Australia, when we were beaten 5-0 during the Melbourne Test, over 70 000 people attended on one of the days knowing fully well we were a beaten side,” he said.

“We have about 10 players in this current West Indies team either 25 years old or younger and this speaks volumes of our development programme. We are not trying to be Australians, but they want to be like us. They want to bring the same flair and enthusiasm we have for the game.

“We have the best talent in the world player for player, but we need them to have the work ethic and discipline that will bring credit to the cricket in the West Indies. We are trying to use the methodology that made them number one. How did they do it?

“We do not want to bat like Sir Don Bradman, nobody could. In any case, if we had to choose between Bradman and George Headley, I would choose Headley or Sir Everton Weekes. And for the simple reason that Bradman said he would like to be called ‘The White George Headley and identified Sir Everton as one o the best West Indies batsmen against whom he had played."

The WICB directors also approved a recommendation from the Cricket Committee that future leaders for West Indies teams be identified sooner rather than later and that they are prepared for these roles.

As part of its mandate to plot a way forward for West Indies cricket, the Cricket Committee acknowledged that leadership training should be an area of high priority for the WICB and that a structured approach to the identification and moulding of future West Indies captains is required.

“What we want to do is to identify half-dozen or so young players who have the ability and potential to lead and we will put them through this training,” he said..

Rev. Hall added that leadership is not something that comes naturally to everyone and that the high-pressure atmosphere of an international cricket match can be quite taxing for a normal player, let alone a captain.