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<Bt-4z30>Logie hopes US problem will be sorted out

The United States may well be readmitted to the international fold after talks were held last weekend in Washington DC between the warring factions battling for control of the USA Cricket Association.The US was suspended by the ICC in March after two rival groups claimed to be the rightful ones to run the game in the country. The ICC asked the West Indies board (WICB) to intervene and try to find a solution. Only when the WICB reported back that the dispute had been settled would a readmission be considered.

And Bermuda’s national coach Gus Logie said he hoped that the problems will be ironed out.

“One can only hope that it will be sorted out because that would be for the betterment of cricket — not only in this region but as a whole,” said Logie who has fond memories of playing in the US.

Ken Gordon, the WICB president, met with the USA Cricket Association and representatives of the regional league presidents and the two sides agreed to revise the review of the constitution so that all stakeholders could be consulted. There were deep concerns at the short time given by the USACA for examination and debate of the previous new constitution before it had to be approved. Logie said: “I believe that the West Indies president met with them and I think they have had some sort of agreement.”

Noting that the ICC has long wanted cricket in the US to become bigger, Logie said: “The US does present a pretty big market. ICC has always looked to expand more in America.”

Logie himself remembers playing for the West Indies in the US.

“When I played for the West Indies we had a few games in the US and the turnout was pretty good because the US has a fairly large immigrant population. There are lot of West Indians there along with quite of lot of people from India, Pakistan and all the other (Test playing) countries. I myself played a lot of cricket in New York in the Metropolitan League in the 1980s. It was really good cricket — there were a lot of former West Indian players and potential West Indian players who were living in the US and who wanted to compete against the present day (West Indian) players. The competition was pretty intense,” said Logie noting that many people from the West Indies have gone to live in the US over the years but have still retained their love for the sport.