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Trinidad and Tobago cricket captain Denesh Ramdin left a meeting with the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) on Monday evening convinced that he had lost his post at the helm of the team.
“I am axed as captain and they announced Rayad Emrit will be captain going forward for Trinidad and Tobago,” Ramdin told the Trinidad Express.
However, TTCB third vice-president, Patrick Rampersad told ESPN that local cricket president Azim Bassarath had actually asked Ramdin: “How he would respond if he was told that the executive had received a recommendation from the selectors that they prefer to continue with the same captain appointed from the beginning of the season regardless of Ramdin’s availability.”
The good old: “What would you say if I tell you someone else thinks I should break up with you?”
Bassarath must have been quite a charmer as a young man. Stay classy, Sir.
Ramdin was not dropped, you see; he was pre-dropped in a game of charades. And Caribbean administrators know a thing or two about droppings; and amusing themselves with the anguish of athletes.
Bassarath offered further clarification on Ramdin’s plight.
“When the selectors met to pick the team they realised the Denesh would have been in India playing a complete tour,” said Bassarath. “Immediately after that he would go to the South Africa tour. And after that he would go directly to the World Cup.
“So Denesh was not going to be available to play for T&T for the 2014-15 season. Hence the selectors made a recommendation (to think about appointing another captain).”
It makes sense if you don’t think about it.
You see, Ramdin is in the Trinidad and Tobago squad to face Barbados. So the selectors’ squad was actually not written in concrete.
Bassarath is happy to make an adjustment that allows his board to use Ramdin’s ability; he just wants to deny him the privilege of being captain and chose to share that with the player in a humiliating manner.
Ramdin suspects he is being victimised for his role in the West Indies cricket team’s aborted series in India.
(Copyright Glyn Kirk/AFP 2014)
“I think it is more victimisation because they were asking me questions about India,” Ramdin told the Express, “and my lawyer said not to talk about it. So I think they were trying to get more information on that aspect.”
What?! West Indies cricket administrators victimising cricketers?!
Rampersad was aghast at the insinuation and retorted that Ramdin was lying.
“That was totally untrue,” Rampersad told ESPN. “One question was asked: ‘What transpired in India?’ He said he could not speak about it because that was the advice from the lawyer. That was the end of the matter.”
Open and shut case. The TTCB never asked Ramdin about India. It only asked him: “What transpired in India?”
So, to summarise, the TTCB did not drop Ramdin. It just asked him how he would feel about being dropped.
And it was only because the selectors had already picked a team and captain, so it was too late to make a change; although the TTCB did make a change to pick Ramdin as a player.
And, for damn sure, it had nothing to do with the farce in India, which was the last thing on Bassarath’s mind. In fact, no one from the TTCB asked Ramdin a thing about the ill-fated India tour except for: “what transpired in India?”
Thank God we cleared that up.
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This whole situation just shows how we lack the proper people in the right places. Old men still acting as lil boys. Again I say, if I showed up for a job expecting a salary I’m accustomed to and realize I got a 65% pay cut and my boss or union don’t seem to want to have any positive dialogue, well I would have surely abandoned ship. TTCB is playing games, why even mention India, that has nothing to do with you. It clearly gives the perception of victimization. Sad period for West Indies cricket, when will we get it right.
It’s just what they did with Sammy….brought in a relative unknown to captain the side….
Everyone knows that Denesh can captain the WI one day, T20 and test teams…
We cannot go forward with a board who has backward thinking…
We cannot go forward with a captain who barely made the side when Denesh was captain…
what’s next i wonder
This current TTCB should resign because of how they are handling this issue (Denesh Ramdin).Clearly they cannot take T&T cricket into the future.
The players must also respect their profession (It pays them a tidy fee) enough to always put there best foot forward by applying themselves on every tour. To wear that uniform meant something back in the day, I’m not certain it is the same right now!
when a 65% deduction in your salary is made behind your back, you not going to play anything.
TTCB & WICB
Let’s see how far loyalty goes in connection with that captaincy…
i think a lot of the nonsense talk on these comments are blinded by the fact that Ramdin is Trinidadian. Marlon Samuel’s was not entitled to an opinion against the player action..he was branded no good and such and such because he did not agree with Bravo’s opinion. Did anyone bother to read Ramdin’s comments about why he found the situation wrong? it was stated that he felt because he was the WI captain he could not come back to his national team and serve under someone else…I ask is that the thinking of a correct minded person. Plenty people elad their national Squad and are not there team captain
The more i think about this and i was lucky enough to have a good little personal chat with one of TTCB executives today, even if they wanted to let Emrit captain the team for majority of season – they didn’t have to announce it now.
Yes realistically Ramdin would miss majority of games due to windies duty, but if he is available he really has to lead. They really cant sell the idea of da windies test captain not leading his national side when he plays for them – no fan whether armchair expect or erudite would buy that.
Smart thing to do since Ramdin is back from abandoned tour of India is let him captain as normal, then after he’s gone on proposed SA tour – let Emrit lead.
But the funny thing is with all the rumours around about windies captains sacked, their might not be a windies tour to SA for ramdin or team. And if Windies cant tell BCCI how they payin that 42 mill by Nov 14, their won’t be a domestic season to play.
Trinidadians are the only people who don’t support one other T Best is de worse but Barbados picking him doh matter what & Hinds supported his country man Cameron by signing that paper and he knew it was wrong… Listen I real mad at Bassarath and them he talking bout leadership. lol 75% out his pay,he not taking that. These men on real sh!t !!!
the current board hasn’t found the rite balance btween winning n stealing yet, i’m guessing its probably leaning heavily on the stealing side, lol
Find some of your’ll are being rather harsh on Ramdin. He’s come a long way and was turning out to be a damn fine Captain and scoring runs and still the best Wicket Keeper in the WI. What more allyuh want? Like some of you want to crucify him just like the dotish TTCB. Steups!
It isn’t the same as two decades ago. But it takes a lot of sacrifice to reach to the top. We can’t see our brothers work so hard for the moderate success that they have only to be disrespected by unprofessional, talent-less administrators.
Administrators are there to look out for the sport and support the athletes. Which one of those two things would cause the TTCB to sack Ramdin?
When they are wrong penalise them. But don’t spite the young men.
Lasana in all honesty I’ve lost the feeling of belonging for the W.I. team for sometime now as the West Indies have not rallied for a long time. Whenever you are lead to think that we are about to turn the corner be it the board or the players not performing my expectations were lost along the way. The end result which I think goes for most West Indians is disappointment at the highest level.
That is precisely it. I always raise my eyebrow when some intelligent people pretend to be swayed by such nonsense too.
I wasn’t comparing him to Tino. He is just the silliest athlete I can think of.
Bassarath owed it to him to be straight. That is the respect from adult to another and one professional to another.
Instead of the lies and insult and stealth attacks. That is all I meant. I would say the same thing if Ramdin’s test average was 5.
Playing smart with stupidiness.
Oh I would not compare him to that hot head Tino if that’s what ur alluding to….In the public domain I guess wasn’t the correct thing to do.
Well said Lasana…Respect
with that current board tnt cricket is doom, they say mr. deryck murray stole but under his tenure we won many trophies. you all have too ask how many have we won under current admin??
I won’t doubt whether he has not lived up to his potential, Brian Manswell. Few athletes do. But does he have to score centuries to be treated with respect though.
Even if his first name is Tino and his last name is Best, he still doesn’t deserve to have his employer try to humiliate him I think.
La Horquetta Xf…..fans PAY to watch games…admins get in FREE. These people are covering up a faux pas. What does Ramdin have to lie for? NOTHING. he already in the dog house. And yes Savitri Maharaj. they eating ah food. But there is always a day for them. Will be VERY interesting to see how this pans out. Ramdin, Rayad and the team have my full support, but if the TTCB continues along this road we are in for some trouble….Lasana Liburd, great article as usual.
He has not developed as the player we all thought he wud’ve been and I’ll say it’s due to a lack of discipline. He was W.I. under 17 Captain and I believe we all thought that another star was on the horizon the new JD.
Why you say so Brian Manswell?
Soldier you need keep quiet… Stupsss
IMHO Denesh Ramdin has caused some of his own pain. Similar to other West Indian players of the past.
Before they make peace WICB & TTCB still looking for war with the players. remember fans go to watch players not administrators…
Dais if they let them in with cell phones! Lol
The fall has started already Lasana. All the backstabbers who promised Ganga support during the election and then turned their backs are now eating, but this will certainly teach them a lesson. I hope next time the TTCB or WICB meet with the players they record the convo. It would certainly clear up this he say she say business.
I’m fed up of officials trying to bamboozle and humiliate athletes. They wish they could take sport back to the good old 70s when athletes did what they were told and were paid whatever officials felt like paying them.
Those days are over. And officials with that mindset should be consigned to history too.
Sporting kingpins will start falling like flies, wait and see. WICB, TTCB and there was protest today in Zurich by some students against Blatter and FIFA.
Hmmmmmm watching TV 6 sports news Bassarath trying to bring down Ramdin… To be continued
Whew!… that was a relief… I got lost in translation for a moment!!
While I am one of those who isn’t quite sold on Ramdin’s suitability to be WI Test captain, I have no real problems with him as T&T captain. This situation as caused by the TTCB is farcical; if they picked him as a player because he suddenly became available, then the captaincy becomes a consideration as he only ‘lost’ it due to the prior unavailability. This was handled poorly and worse yet, by asking about India the local board managed to firmly entangle themselves in the brouhaha! To the TTCB, paraphrasing Alanis Morissette, I say: This is not allowed! You’re uninvited and it was not an unfortunate slight!
I think people will have more respect for the administrators if they make a decision and stick to it. Instead of trying to play games with Ramdin and Emrit.This situation can only create tension between the two players and divide the team. However,the Board is definitely trying to do damage control because Ramdin buss the mark on them. If Ramdin loses his T&T captaincy then he will surely lose his West Indies captaincy and it won’t be for performance reasons but because there seem to be a plot to victimize the players who supported the strike.