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Alloy Lequay, long-serving president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, has strongly criticised the delaying tactics used by Dinanath Ramnarine and Merv Dillon in the closing stages of the third Test last Monday. In a strongly-worded media statement, Lequay called the methods used to help the West Indies draw the match a blatant disregard for the spirit of the game.

If this took place while they were wearing national colours, I would have ensured that an enquiry be held to get all the facts and not just a public relations exercise, Lequay said. Ramnarine and Dillon are both Trinidadians.

Lequay said he was confident the pair could have saved the match without employing unsportsmanlike tactics.

Alarming is the most appropriate word I can find, Lequay stated. I am assuming that when the 12th man Dave Mohammed came on the field he was not the messenger of such instructions from the dressing room. That would be unbelieveable.

It was just not cricket. Imagine similar tactics by a visiting team, he added. I had heard as a boy that England preferred to lose a battleship than a Test match. I did not expect the West Indies team would prefer to lose their character, pride and dignity.

Lequay said it was a poor example of the young cricketers soon to play the annual West Indies Under-15 tournament in Trinidad.

Ramnarine and Dillon held up play for on-field treatment from physiotherapist Ronald Rogers and Ramnarine used other delaying tactics that brought an official warning from umpire Steve Bucknor. Match referee Mike Denness took no action after summoning Ramnarine, Dillon, captain Carl Hooper, coach Roger Harper and manager Ricky Skerritt to a meeting after the match.

© The Barbados Nation