Joel Garner to challenge Cameron for WICB president

Bridgetown (Barbados), Feb 6: Cricket legend Joel Garner, a former West Indies fast bowler, is set to challenge embattled incumbent Dave Cameron for president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in elections carded for early next month.

Garner, the president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), will be nominated by his board and is expected to be seconded by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), reports CMC.

His running mate is TTCB director Baldath Mahabir, who was nominated by the TTCB.

"I would not say this is a challenge (to the current administration), the fact is there is the thinking emanating from within the TTCB that we in Trinidad and Tobago need to play a bigger role. And that is the whole thing that has prompted the TTCB move," Mahabir told The Express.

"The fact that we believe we need to play a bigger role, it means you are not happy with all that was happening and so we feel that the T&T presence could influence the board to become a bit better."

Meantime, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has voted 10-6 in favour of supporting Garner and Mahabir for the two top posts.

The two, whose names are expected to be submitted before the Feb 14 nomination deadline, are running against Cameron and his vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan from the Windward Islands.

Cameron and Nanthan are both in their first terms as president and vice-president but their tenure has been tainted by the current fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), over the aborted tour.

There have been calls for Cameron to step down including from the Prime Minister of S. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonzalves.

Elections will be held March 7 when the WICB holds its Annual General Meeting in Jamaica.

IANS