Home Test series in peril

BRIDGETOWN: The West Indies cricket crisis over players’ personal endorsements deepened on Friday, and has placed this year’s home series against South Africa and Pakistan in serious jeopardy. Teddy Griffith, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, announced that West Indies captain Brian Lara and six others will not be considered for selection for the upcoming series that comprises six Tests and eight limited-overs internationals. The issue centres on the players’ personal endorsement of Cable and Wireless that the WICB believes puts in peril their wide-ranging US$20 million sponsorship with telecommunications provider, Digicel.

Griffith revealed that the WICB would not consider for selection Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ravi Rampaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Dwayne Smith because of their personal endorsement contracts with Cable and Wireless. “In a situation where the players concerned have repeatedly refused to share with the WICB the non-financial provisions of their contract with Cable and Wireless, and where the continued exploitation of these players images may cause the WICB to be in breach of its obligations to its sponsor, the WICB has been left with no alternative,” remarked Griffith in a 31-minute radio and television address carried throughout the Caribbean.

“(The players will not be considered) until such time as the Board can be satisfied that these contracts are unquestionably in the nature of individual contracts and contain no provisions which could be construed as passing off by the player of his connection with the West Indies team by attribution, or by defining himself as a member of the team.” Griffith disclosed that the WICB had instructed their selection panel to pick 25 to 30 players from which the side for the home series against South Africa and Pakistan will be chosen.

“Each of the players named by the selectors is to be sent an invitation to make himself available for selection to the squad under the terms and conditions of the Match/Tour contract from the tour of Australia for the VB Series, modified to include a new Clause 5 in place of the temporary Clause 5,” Griffith said. “The WICB expects the players named by the selectors to respond to its invitation to make themselves available for the home series by Friday, March 11, so that the Board may decide by March 14 whether the tour is to  proceed.”

Griffith commented that the world of sport is inextricably linked with commercial interests, and without significant support from sponsors the WICB would find it impossible to fulfil their  obligations, or to field a competitive team. “The Digicel sponsorship agreement has given the WICB the opportunity to substantially fund the development of cricket generally, which is its mandate,” he said.