THE WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD (WICB), captain Brian Lara, coach Bennett King and manager Clive Lloyd all came before a "firing squad" yesterday.

Fire them all, said fast bowling legend Joel "Big Bird" Garner.

His former pace bowling ace now international commentator, Michael Holding said Lara should be removed from the top job.

Meantime, Richie Richardson, a former captain, was stunned that players could get "time off" in the middle of the biggest tournament of their lives.

The weight of defeat in their last three Cricket World Cup Super 8 matches has apparently taken a heavy toll on these former players.

All three spoke to the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday from different parts of the region, but the hurt and pain was all the same. They showered condemnation on the team, the leadership and the administration.

Sack them all

Garner said he would sack the team's hierarchy, including team co-ordinator Clive Lloyd – his former captain.

"There ought to be a way where the West Indies Cricket Board is declared bankrupt and all the elected members from the territories barred from taking offices in cricket," he said in a telephone interview in Barbados.

"It's time to clean out the board – the president, the vice-president, all the officials – everyone."

Speaking from Guyana where he was part of the broadcast panel for Sunday's match, Holding said Lara should be replaced.

"Lara has to step aside, not necessarily as a player, but as captain. He appears bigger than the game. He has got whatever he has wanted," he said.

"We haven't seen an improvement when he has taken over the captaincy."

Shocked

Richardson, who spoke from Antigua, was shocked that the team had gone in separate directions after Sunday's defeat to Sri Lanka. The team will reassemble in Grenada today in preparation for the next match against South Africa on Tuesday.

"That's unbelievable in the middle of a tournament when they should be representing their people. They have let us down," he said.

"What about teams like Australia and New Zealand who play much more cricket than our guys? Aren't they tired too?"

Regional commentator Colin Murray, based in Trinidad, called for King to be sacked.

"Instead of calling for Brian Lara's head, we should all be calling for the head of Bennett King. He should leave after
this World Cup ends and go back to wherever he came from, because he's only been a disaster to this West Indies side," he said. (PS/RG)