Ali wants Red Force hire psychologist

FORMER national cricketer Zaheer Ali is calling on the TT Cricket Board to appoint an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the TT Red Force’s performance at the West Indies Four-Day Championship.

He would also like to see the local administrators securing a sport psychologist to work with the team for the remainder of the year’s tournament.

The TTCB on Wednesday announced former TT and WI fast bowler Mervyn Dillon as the local side’s new coach, replacing Kelvin Williams, who stepped down from the post after the team’s poor performance stretching back to last season.

Also appointed was David Furlonge as team manager and assistant coach. The Red Force has lost six out of their last seven matches in the four-day championship.

Ali, in a statement, also said the team needs more top quality spinners.

“While there are many administrative and operational factors that may account for the current state of our cricket and the performance of national senior team, the research has shown that the strength and success of TT cricket over the years was mainly attributed to national teams that comprised top quality spinners,” he said, naming several of them.

Leg-spinner Imran Khan, 34, remains TT's top spinner and has been among the leading wicket-takers in the region for the past few years. TT captain Denesh Ramdin recently called for more spin-friendly pitches for TT to play on at home.

Ali said, “It is evident that most Caribbean batsmen are not the best players of top quality spin bowling or are suspect to top quality spin bowling... The question is why have we not capitalised on this weakness when we are shaping our national teams for competitions?

“Sadly, we are not doing our research and taking the necessary and strategic steps to ensure that we cultivate top quality spinners who could assist our cause and master different conditions. The administration over the years must take responsibility for the inability to produce a cohort of quality spinners at the senior level, when there is an abundance of talent throughout TT. Cricket administrators are no different from other professions and must be students of their profession in order to stay ahead both on and off the field."

Ali has suggested special emphasis and focus being placed on scouting for talent, recruitment and continuous quality development programmes “geared towards sustainability in all departments of the game.”

He said, “The administration must take an aggressive, proactive and conscious steps to attract the best persons to administer the operations for the public good and to achieve the desired results.”

Ali suggests publicly advertising the positions of selectors, coaches, managers and other technical staff and qualified professionals “to ensure that the TTCB attract competent and right-thinking persons or combination of persons to achieve the desired results in the Caribbean tournaments but more importantly, to promote democracy in the administration of our cricket."