A promising run by Dillon and Red Force

THE TT Cricket Board (TTCB) has advertised for a head coach. This is very interesting as there is a head coach in place. On April 30, as I understand it, the contract expires between the TTCB and the incumbent, Mervyn Dillon.

This is strange. Usually, when a position is vacant or the present occupier has given notice of leaving the post, then the administration would advertise to fill the position. Not this time. There was no public announcement by Dillon or the TTCB that he had resigned as head coach. He has claimed that he wants to retain his post!

Dillon took over the job with six out of ten games to play in 2019 and was in charge in 2020 when the four-day Championship was halted two games short because of the horrendous coronavirus. At the time of the stoppage, the TT Red Force (TTRF) were lying a distant second to the Barbados Pride, however, Cricket West Indies declared the regional season closed, giving Barbados the trophy and officially placing Dillon’s team in second place.

Eight centuries were scored with the seasoned Jason Mohammed recording two of them and talented youngsters like Yannick Ottley, Joshua Da Silva and Jyd Goolie playing excellently to reach the treasured milestone, together with the mature Yannic Cariah, the captain Darren Bravo and the debutant all-rounder Terrance Hinds.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and right-arm pacer Anderson Phillips were the pick of the bowlers. This was a promising performance by the TT Red Force, therefore, I wonder where the wheels came off for Dillon, for it is an achievement that would make any administrator proud. Of course there would be room for improvement, but the ex-West Indies fast bowler had the team for less than two seasons.

Nonetheless, there are always other matters that could place a coach in the bad books and one could only guess at what Dillon did wrong.

If the administration is satisfied with the incumbent then he’s notified that his contract will be extended, if he agrees, after further discussions. If they’re not, fire him and advertise for the vacant position.

There is no point in going through the expense of electing a new coach if the intention is to renew the contract of the present officer.

This brings me to ask just what is the structure of the organisation and to whom does the head coach report? Is there a director of cricket or some form of cricket administrator to whom he has to hand in his reports? This is the foundation on which the structure should be built.

A head coach ought not to report to anyone else but someone that directly oversees the work he’s doing.

The head coach has a lot on his plate and he needs someone to identify with and to supervise his function.

That person should be overseeing the development of cricket through its zones, clubs, schools and coaches, ensuring that they’re going about their training for advancement in the right way.

It is only when there is that link between the coach on the field and the administration’s executive – the ones that make the final decisions regarding finance for training and expansion of the cricket pool, so that an average cricketer becomes top-class and the top-class player does not slip through the cracks – only then can the head coach do his job diligently. He is then being fed from clubs, schools, zones, all coordinated by a coaching staff, permanent and temporary, reporting to a central figure who is the Director of Cricket, or whatever!

Nevertheless, to get back to the selection of a head coach. Who will be the interviewing panel? Would there be individuals with the awareness and understanding of the game and what it requires? It is necessary to hire a coach who can encourage and motivate; one who is wise at creating strategy and employing tactics; in other words a coach who can read the game! He must have the personality to empathise with the various characteristics of his cricketers. He should have the respect of the players without being aloof. And above all, the coach ought to have the ability to detect and deal with technical faults in his players and in the opposition!

I’ve dealt here only with the four-day game which requires a lot more expertise to handle than the limited-overs games, plus our results have been very poor in first-class cricket! Good luck TTCB!