WI Board ‘disappointed’ with Dinas

ST JOHN’S: Disappointed is the way that the West Indies Cricket Board have described the instruction of the West Indies Players’ Association to players not to sign letters of invitation issued to 25 selected for a training camp prior to the planned tour of Australia next January. Early on Tuesday, WIPA President Dinanath Ramnarine, the former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies leg-spin bowler, charged that the WICB issued the invitations without consultation with his organisation and were looking to exploit the players for commercial purposes. The WICB however, hit back late on Tuesday when they disclosed that a copy of the match/tour contract for the Australian trip was provided to WIPA on October 7 for comments.

“Despite requests on four separate occasions with reminders of the need to provide the players with the terms and conditions well in advance of the (limited-overs series) in Australia scheduled for early January, WIPA did not submit any comments on that contract to the WICB at the time of issue of the letters of invitation on November 5,” remarked WICB communications director Leonard Robertson in a news release. “The WICB, therefore, carried out their responsibility to have a team prepared to leave the region on December 29 by making the invited players aware of the terms and conditions applicable to the tour. “The players were informed that the match/tour contracts had been submitted to WIPA on October 7 and, at the time of despatch, there had been no response from WIPA.”

Robertson stated that the WICB issued the invitations, dated (November 2), on November 5 and sought to ensure both the players’ availability and their ability to fulfil the conditions for the tour should they be selected in the final squad. He also noted that a copy of that communication was also despatched to WIPA on November 5. Robertson added that the WICB were in full support of the players’ right to organise and continues to have an open dialogue with WIPA on all matters of mutual concern. “The WICB are committed to their responsibility to develop West Indies cricket for the benefit of all players throughout the region, as well as the fans and the sponsors, while preserving the integrity of the relationships necessary to secure a long-term prosperous future for all at all levels of the game,” he reiterated.

“The WICB remain hopeful that the invited players will indicate their availability within the deadline given of 10 days after receipt of the invitation because the camp is due to begin on November 29.” Among the terms and conditions in the tour contract that a player must be able to meet are that he:

1. Has made himself available for selection to his national team for all matches in the West Indies domestic competition that immediately precedes, or is concurrent with, the selection of the West Indies team for the tour or home series which immediately follows such competition;

2. Is fit and able to play and is not suffering, and has not suffered from, any illness or injury or other ailment of which he is reasonably aware, which may render him incapable of playing in the tour or home series for which he is being selected; and

3. Is contractually able to execute and perform his obligations under the standard WICB match/tour contract. From the 25 invitees who have indicated their availability, a squad of 14 will be chosen before West Indies depart on December 29 for their first engagement since they won the ICC Champions Trophy in Britain last September. (CMC)