by PHILIP SPOONER

A NEW COACH on Saturday night and a new chief executive officer on Sunday morning.

With this the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is promising to take a new direction in the upliftment and rebirth of the game in the Caribbean.

Former Australian batsman John Dyson was named as the new coach on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and around noon yesterday, Dr Donald Peters of Dominica was appointed chief executive officer. These decisions were ratified at the WICB's marathon board meeting here on Saturday.

Dressed in a blue shirt and navy blue blazer, Peters appeared excited, confident and self-assured as he outlined his modus operandi ahead of taking up the post on November 5.

"I figure I have the skills that can make a difference. When I take a job I like to give 110 per cent and I like to win. I'm excited about the prospects," Peters said at the Accra Hotel yesterday. "If I can't bring success I won't let them fire me, I'd fire myself."

Julian Hunte, who took over as president of the WICB in July, said he was looking forward to the new possibilities.

"The board is conscious of the need to do everything it can to ensure that we put structures in place to enhance the performances on and off the field. We have come up with a plan of action to be put into effect as soon as possible," Hunte told DAILY NATION.

The 53-year-old Dyson played for Australia between 1977 and 1984. He replaces another Australian, Bennett King, who quit in May after failing to turn around the fortune of West Indies cricket.

Dyson is due to arrive in the coming week and will begin to assemble the support staff as the West Indies prepare for the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa from late November to early February.

Governance Report

At the board meeting the WICB directors also examined the Governance Report, which it had commissioned and which was prepared by a team headed by former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson, Sir Alister McIntyre and Ian McDonald.

In the 138-page document, the WICB has been urged to make several drastic changes to its operations in an effort to modernise and recapture goodwill from players and the public.

The report suggested a complete overhaul and renaming of the WICB, establishing firm links with former players, paying greater attention and funding the game at the club level, the establishment of the academy and high-performance centres, as well as the WICB need to be sure-footed in its relations with major investors.

Please see also Page 23.