Holding quits West Indies cricket committee

Michael Holding has resigned from the cricket committee of the West Indies board (WICB) afer expressing unease with the way that it the committee - formed by the WICB to take responsibility for cricketing-related matters - was not consulted over decisions regarding the West Indies team selection for the tour of Pakistan in November.

The move came after Ken Gordon, the WICB president, revealed that Brian Lara's input had led to the rejection of Allen Stanford's request for an early selection of the West Indies team to tour Pakistan in November. The Stanford 20/20 Super Stars match - originally scheduled for November 10 between a combined West Indies XI and South Africa - was cancelled due to scheduling problems, with West Indies expected to arrive in Pakistan on November 7.

Prior to the cancellation, Stanford had advised Ken Gordon that he would go ahead with the 20/20 match without those players chosen for the Pakistan tour. However, he asked for early selection of the West Indies team so that coaches and other support staff could prepare the depleted Super Stars squad. But Lara, the West Indies captain, insisted that the selectors choose the touring squad for Pakistan only after their tri-series in Malaysia later this month, reasoning that the players should "earn their places" rather than being informed of their selection so early.

"The Test team to tour Pakistan was about to be selected but has now been put on hold because, as the president puts it, Mr Lara doesn't want it selected at this time," Holding was quoted in The Nation. "I thought cricketing matters were supposed to be dealt with by the cricket committee but I suppose team selections are not cricketing matters.

"Since things like that are not cricketing matters, I don't know what would qualify, so obviously I don't belong on the committee." According to the paper, Holding also claimed that two of the three selectors - Clyde Butts and Andy Roberts - had not been informed about Lara's reported objection to the early team selection.

Holding had written to Clive Lloyd informing him of his decision to quit. Lloyd quit the Stanford 20/20 board earlier this month over his "concerns for West Indies cricket".