Legendary batter Brian Lara and experienced head coach Mickey Arthur have been named in a three-member independent panel assembled by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to conduct a comprehensive review of the West Indies early exit from the Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.
West Indies, the T20 World Cup champions in 2012 and 2016, couldn't enter the Super 12 stage of the tournament after defeats to Ireland and Scotland in their first-round matches in Hobart, apart from a win over Zimbabwe.
CWI said the losses caused great disappointment and frustration among all West Indies cricket stakeholders. The West Indies' early exit from the tournament saw Phil Simmons step down from his role as head coach too.
Lara, currently the head coach of IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad and Arthur, working as the head coach of county side Derbyshire, will undertake a holistic assessment of all aspects of the team's preparation and performance at the global tournament in a panel chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr, a high court judge at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
The three-member panel, who have already started their work, will submit a Report to the CWI Board of Directors, with relevant insight and clear recommendations. It is also intended that this review will establish a process and template for future performance reviews.
The objectives of the three-member Group will be to: conduct a thorough and independent review of the West Indies Men's T20 Team's preparation and performance; engage in an inclusive interview exercise with as many stakeholders as practicably possible through methodology which ensures that all contributions are heard, recorded, valued and respected.
The group will also conduct interviews, in person or virtually, of all key stakeholders, including selectors, team members, management staff, board directors, management, high performance unit, cricket analysts, former players, territorial boards and franchises and the Caribbean Premier League.
They also have to develop a standard, robust and confidential review process which is organised, methodical and devoid of subjectivity and political influence; and collate the findings and prepare a final report and recommendations to be submitted to the CWI Board of Directors by no later than December 15.
"CWI is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and totally independent panel agree to serve West Indies Cricket under challenging circumstances. I am especially grateful for their commitment to lend some of their valuable time to this important review project."
"It is vital that players, coaches, administrators, and all of us who love West Indies cricket, recognize that creating a sustainable learning culture, throughout the organization, is a prerequisite for player growth and team improvement."
"Emotion-based and knee-jerk type decisions have failed CWI repeatedly in the past. I am confident that this independent World Cup review process will produce findings and learnings that should be of great benefit to our cricket system going forward," said Ricky Skerritt, President, CWI.