West Indian ultimatum to Croft, folding

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 34

West Indian ultimatum to Croft, folding

PA Wellington The West;’ Indies Cricket Board of Control has demanded apologies from fast bowlers Michael Holding and Colin Croft for their behaviour during the recent tour of New Zealand. ’

The action, reached at a meeting last week and made public in a statement issued on Tuesday was confirmed from Trinidad yesterday by the chairman, Mr J. B. Stollmeyer, in a telephone interview with NZPA. The two cricketers were given until April 20 to make written apologies, or otherwise be withdrawn from the West Indies team to tour England.;. • ? , Mr Stollmeyer said that

an apology had been already received'from Holding. The apologies -being sought ,vyen? to the’ West 1 Indies 'Board only,, but. a copy of the statement and a.' letter of apology, to the West Indies board from the cap tai n , of the West;lndian team; Clive Lloyd, would be forwarded to the-chairman of the New Zealand . .Cricket Board of Control, Mr R. A. Vance. At-its-meeting last week; the West Indies board considered reports . from the tour manager, Mr Willie Rodriguez, Lloyd and the New Zealand board, which included reports by the test umpires. Mr Rodriguez and Lloyd attended the meeting and gave additional explanations. The statement dealt;-with

three' incidents f —' the ’ delay in resumption . of play 'after the tea interval' on the -third day of 7 the ‘ secoriil test Tit Christchurch, Holding’s action in kicking? down the stumps after an unsuccessful lbw - appeal during., the. first test at “Dunedin, and Croft’s collision with;an umpire; Mr F. Goodall; just before delivering a ball in the Christchurch test. '■ . ? ; . It said that the board viewed film of the- Croft and Holding incidents. The board praised the re? strai nt' shown by the New Zealand public, cricket officials, and umpires when the West Indian players refused to take the field at Christchurch. * Under the . rules , of cricket the umpires could have

awarded the match Mo' New Zealand. An; applogy had been made at the meeting; by -Lloyd?fpi.-the 1 bbhaViour.’ of the.captain.and the team. '' jOh .’ th'e ■ Holding -'incident, the West 'lndies-' board' -concluded’ that, it- was ?‘a --public display .of , bad- sportsmanship which deserves public condemnation-.”, y.. f ' 5 ;

It' Said.’ that Croft, 'had !deriied thgt.his- collision, ; with Mr Gbodall■ was.’ deliberate, but after’viewing, aMilm The board, had come to the conclusion that.'he should apologise. . -■ . Apologies ,'ipr . the'. behaviour:’ of both -Holding, and Croft had been made.'by Mr Rodriguez to- the New Zealand Cricket Council before the third; .test -.started, in Auckland, but to its know-

ledge these apologies- .had not been made public.L , : ; (Because! of' the Zealand ’ experience,T the West Indies board "has said' that it intends to, introduce a clause in-the players’ .contracts- ‘for England, which will impose penalties fdr any repetition of- public dissent or disputing of umpires’ decisions,. in‘ his letter- to 'the -board, Lloyd said that the -team .had had. a very ’heavy schedule; arid the players were mentally and physically tired on their arrival in New Zealand. The reception they received in New Zealand did not bear comparison with treatment given in other countries, and’ some “very incompetent umpiring” was encountered. It had not been surprising

that -tbe Team, had failed in the. first innings of the Dunedin • test, but; Lloyd .wrote - that certain subsequent- acts ofTprotest were •unprofessional, arid : in retrospect he took the blame for not being, firm. He agreed that'the'actions of his team had not been in the best interests'. of the.; game, and offered the apologies of himself and' , the team to the West’!...-Indies- board and through it to-the New Zealand board. The team for England is: Clive Lloyd (captain), Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Faoud Bachus, Alvin Kallicharran, Lawrence Rowe. Vivian Richards, - Collis King. Dercyk Murray. David Murray, Joel Garner. Michael Holding. Andy Roberts. Malcolm Marshall, Derek Parry and Colin Croft.