(AP) Bennett King isn’t certain he wants to become West Indies cricket coach and says the sport’s national administrators had erred by announcing his appointment before completing contract negotiations with him.
The West Indies board announced Monday that King, coach at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide, had been appointed as Roger Harper’s replacement in the West Indies job.
King said the media had been informed of his pending appointment before he’d received a phone call from the Caribbean officials to confirm he was their preferred candidate.
“They’ve nominated me as the preferred candidate and I haven’t agreed to anything,” King told the Australian Associated Press late yesterday. “I’ve seen no terms or conditions.”
King, 38, said he was upset at the premature announcement. He applied for the job last December and had an interview last month.
Asked if he would replace Harper, King replied: “I’ll tell you when they get some terms on the table.”
The Australian test squad flew out Monday for a four- test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. Former test batsman Gus Logie was appointed interim coach for the West Indies and it was expected that King would take over in July.
“I believe the first week in July they’re looking at me being there, but in terms of making a decision, I can’t do anything until they give me something,” said King. “We’ll wait and see. I need a bit more time to think about it all.”
Harper quit after the West Indies were ousted in the first round of the World Cup.
King replaced current Australia coach John Buchanan in the Queensland coaching job in 1999/2000 Australian domestic season and then became head coach at the Australian Cricket Academy in March last year.
The Australian Cricket Board said it was aware King had been offered the vacant West Indies position, but added that King was bound to coach the Australia `A’ team against South Africa A in a tour match April 11-13.