Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Having selectors’ boss as Asst Coach/ Manager could cause discomfort in Jaguars dressing room
Says Sean Devers
In a world where many people are consumed by the lust for power and position, 35-year-old Chairman of the Guyana
Rayon Griffith
cricket selectors and now Assistant Coach and Manager of the Guyana Jaguars is one of the nicest people you could meet and a man just doing his job to the best of his ability.
However, appointing the former Guyana pacer, who has 56 wickets from 22 First-Class matches as Assistant Coach to Head Coach Esuan Crandon in addition to the position of team Manager, could create some level of discomfort in the Jaguars dressing room and cause unwanted stress on Griffith, especially after the departure of senior players Skipper Leon Johnson, Shiv Chanderpaul and Assad Fudadin who leave for a training camp this week ahead of the West Indies tour to South Africa.
I have known Griffith since he was in the Guyana under-19 team and I am convinced that he is extremely knowledgably about the players he has to select and also about the technical aspects of cricket as a Coach. The verdict is still out on his managerial skills.
Cricket Guyana Inc has replaced Alvin Johnson, who like Carl Moore before him never represented Guyana in cricket at any level. Both were excellent Managers.
It is understood that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) wants to phase out Managers who have very little technical knowledge of cricket. But I believe if you have a competent Coach you don’t need a Manager whose strength is coaching and you could still appoint an Assistant Coach along with a Manager if you so desire.
The duties of a Manager includes being a Counsellor to the players when they are going through a bad patch, organising practice sessions, official functions, organising and verifying travel arrangements, looking after arrangements for internal transportation to the match and practice venues and taking ill or injured players to the hospital among others things.
The Assistant Coach helps the Coach to set up practice equipment, help players with their training schedule, carry out fielding drills among other things.
By making Griffith Manager and Assistant Coach, it will inadvertently rob one of the two duties of his commitment and time.
But this plan, while I think is not the best one, can possibly work. But to make the Chairman of selectors, a man who is supposed to have the last say in picking or dropping players from the team, responsible their performance, could be a dangerous thing and make life uncomfortable for the players.
A Coach is supposed to ‘pull up’ players for non-performance and tell them when they have let the team down. Having the Chairman of selectors constantly breathing down your neck and telling you have not performed could give that player the impression that he would be dropped from the squad especially if that player is batting for his place in the side and unsure of his selection.
Those not selected initially could hold animosity for Griffith when that player is selected.
I understand that some players feel uncomfortable when Griffith, who has a level two Coaching certificate (sometimes unconsciously), wears his selector’s hat in the dressing room.
Holding all three positions gives Griffith too much power since the Chairman of selectors could hold a different view from the Manager or the Coach and presently Griffith holds the only opinion on matters. In addition the Manager has little say in selection of teams, especially on tours. This is usually done by the Captain, Vice-Captain and the Coach but being Chairman of selectors Griffith over-rule the Coaches’ decision when it comes to selection matters.
It is OK for the Chairman of selectors to tour with the team but he should not enforce his presence in the dressing room as the Manager or the Assistant Coach is mandated to do.
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