Howard will be taking over from Ricky Skerritt with immediate effect as interim West Indies manager for the remainder of the home series against England and Bangladesh.

The appointment follows a meeting of the executive committee of the WICB in Barbados yesterday.

“While the WICB has accepted Skerritt’s resignation which takes effect from June 30, he will relinquish his responsibilities as team manager immediately and will work on specific assignments for the WICB until the end of his contractual notice period,” a WICB release said.

Skerritt, who inked a two-year contract extension last year, said his
decision to quit followed events that took place after the first Test against England in Jamaica and led him to review his role as Team Manager.

He said he regretted that, despite his best efforts, he was unable to instill in the entire team the fullest understanding of their obligations on and off the field to the people of the West Indies.

WICB president Teddy Griffith thanked Skerritt for his service to West Indies cricket over the last four years and wished him well in his Future endeavours. He also welcomed Howard to his new post.

“The WICB appreciates Mr. Howard’s willingness to take on this interim assignment at short notice and at this difficult time in West Indies cricket,” the WICB boss remarked.

“We are confident in the choice of Mr. Howard which was based on his
strong management skills and excellent leadership qualities that are
reflected in his unparalleled record at the regional level as the most
successful team manager in recent times.”

Griffith also disclosed that the WICB has appointed a committee under
vice-president Val Banks to review the management structure of the West
Indies team and submit a report by April 23.

Under Howard’s management over the last six years, Barbados has won
four titles in the West Indies first-class championship and held the runner-up position on two occasions.

His team’s most recent success was regaining both the 2004 Carib Beer
Cup and Carib Beer International Challenge.

The Barbados team during his tenure has also won the Red Stripe Bowl
In 2002 and has reached the semi-finals of this competition every year
Under Howard’s management.

“We have a saying in the Barbados team that every day presents a new
opportunity so this is an opportunity for me to further contribute to
the development of West Indies cricket,“ Howard said.

“I am well aware that this is not going to be an easy task, but I am positive that with the cooperation and assistance of the players, other
managers, and ancillary staff and with the full backing of the WICB, this will be the beginning of a process that will contribute to the turnaround in the fortunes of the West Indies team.”

Apart from his success in cricket management, Howard has had a distinguished career in business.

Until recently he held the post of general manager of Courts flagship store in Bridgetown, Barbados, and has now taken up the position of Head of the Commercial Division of Courts (Barbados) Ltd.

He holds a Diploma in Management from the Centre for Management
Development, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.

In his weekly column in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper, West Indies
captain Brian Lara condemned the timing of Skerritt’s sudden resignation.

“Ricky, I must say that I wish this decision had come about before or after the Test series,” Lara wrote in his column.

“Maybe all of us who have an effect on West Indies cricket should rethink our positions, but the timing must be right.

“West Indies cricket will always be here, it will never die, and we are just a very small gradient in its massive landscape. Some people leave a greater effect on the history of our cricket than others, but that stems not only from what they have done, but what legacy they have left behind.”

Lara said the team does not need another new face at this time or any other distraction at this time.

“What does our team need right now to perform better? A new face is
definitely not the answer,” he wrote.

“What we need is a closer relationship with our history and the great
legacy that we seem to be slowly dismantling.