Greenidge: Can't expect Lloyd to work miracles

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Cricket365
August 30, 2014

West Indies legend Gordon Greenidge hopes fans and the WICB will give new chief selector Clive Lloyd the freedom he needs to help the team, and says people should not expect massive improvements right away.

Former captain Lloyd, who was Greenidge's skipper for 59 Tests, took over the job just recently, and even if the Windies beat Bangladesh in the upcoming Test series, Greenidge hopes people don't expect too much, too soon.

Greenidge told <i>Reuters</i>: "It is a bit like what's happening at Manchester United. Everyone's expecting the new managers there to just pick up where Alex Ferguson left off – that's impossible.

"The new man needs to transfer a serious input of his thinking to his team and the way he wants them to go. He needs to build a team and explain how he wants them to go forward. It's the same thing with Clive Lloyd.

"Unfortunately his job will be measured in terms of how successful the West Indies team is, that's always been the case, but I think a change around is necessary and he needs to do that straight away.

"The powers-that-be need to accept Clive, appreciate him and look upon him as the person he is, someone who can get the job done.

"I feel in recent times there has been a lot of disrespect shown to players who have played in the past and there has been more dictatorial behaviour happening around cricket in the Caribbean.

"I haven't been involved for a while which is a damned shame because a lot of players who played in the past have got so much to contribute and have not been given a chance to do so.

"I just hope they recognise Clive's contribution to the West Indies and give him the necessary tools to work with. I don't see a problem at all with Clive but it may be a problem with the people he's working with or the people he reports to."

He also commented on Ottis Gibson's departure: "People are going to expect the new coach (yet to be appointed) to bring an immediate turnaround and I don't think that's going to be possible. It's going to take time for whoever takes over.

"I just hope that whoever it is can mould the group into a better fighting unit. It's been very fragmented over the years and hopefully the new coach can make a difference and we can get away from the insular thinking."