West Indies coach King uncertain over future
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| Published on Saturday, April 21, 2007 |
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By Shahid Hashmi
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AFP): Bennett King is uncertain over his future as West Indies coach in the wake of his team's disappointing World Cup campaign which saw them failing to qualify for the semi-finals.
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West Indies coach
Bennett King. AFP PHOTO |
Asked what his plans were after Captain Brian Lara announced his retirement from international cricket, and Duncan Fletcher stepped down as England coach, King said he was constantly considering his options.
"With coaching, you are never quite sure what the bosses are looking for, you are never sure when they have a different vision of taking the team forward and you may not be part of that," King said ahead of Saturday's match against England, which ends the Super Eights stages.
Just like Lara, King also came under fire after the West Indies lost five of their Super Eights matches, only managing to beat Bangladesh on Tuesday - a win which earned them a chance to finish among the top six.
King last week urged the authorities to improve facilities so the team can match other top international sides.
"The next thing after the England match will be to get a review of the World Cup with the cricket committee and plan for the next four years," he said.
King, a former Australian cricket academy coach who took over as the West Indies coach in 2004, said it was necessary for his team to win the match on at Kensington Oval Saturday before their tour of England in May.
"We have got a tour of England coming up, and it's important that we play well against them on home soil, on a track that suits our bowlers. We are looking for a competitive performance, and hoping to come away with a win."
The West Indies play four Tests and three one-day internationals on the tour which starts with the first Test at Lord's from May 17.
King said with Lara's retirement on Saturday, it will close a chapter in West Indies cricket history.
"He was a genius, a person who could hit the same ball to any area of the ground. He is very resilient, and a very tough guy. His mental fortitude is among the best I have seen," said King.
"Tactically, he was a bit different from what people expected, but with the side we have and the skills in the side, he had to try different things. He was prepared to take a risk, and I encouraged him to take a risk.
"With his retirement, we are losing a wonderful cricketer. You don’t want to be creating robots, and he wasn’t a robot, that’s for sure."
Commenting on Fletcher's departure, King said coaching was a difficult job. "Coaching is not easy. The public always want results," he said. | | | | Reads : 124 | | | |
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