Board set C&W record straight

ST JOHN’S: Over the last week Cable and Wireless have issued a number of statements relative to issues involving seven West Indies Players, Cable and  Wireless itself, and the West Indies Cricket Board. After careful consideration of those statements, the West Indies Cricket Board  (WICB) would like to make the following points:

In reference to Cable and Wireless’s claim that the company never refused to match the Digicel sponsorship package with the WICB because it was never offered, the WICB, by letter dated March 2, 2004, presented to Cable and  Wireless the details of a rival sponsorship bid totalling US$23 million over five years. This was in keeping with the terms of the agreement between the Board and Cable & Wireless. In all material aspects this was the same agreement that was signed between the Board and Digicel.

In a letter dated March 16, 2004 addressed to Mr Roger Brathwaite, chief executive officer of the WICB and signed by Mr Usman Saadat vice- president — marketing, Cable and Wireless, Eastern Caribbean, the company stated: “In accordance with Cable and Wireless’s (“C&W”) obligation under clause 14.2 of the Agreement with the WICB to respond to any rival bid within 14 days of notification of the same by you, C&W has decided not to match the rival bid.” The WICB would like to clarify the issue further by presenting a time line of events as follows: The initial proposal put to Cable and Wireless by the WICB in August 2003 reflected a five-year sponsorship of the team on a Home and Away basis ata cost of US$30 million.
Cable and Wireless stated quite clearly that they were not interested in being a sponsor of the West Indies team away from home.

The discussions then centred only on the Home Series and team sponsorship during those series on a three-year renewal basis. In September 2003, WICB and Cable and Wireless reached agreement on terms of a new three-year sponsorship totalling US$10.95 million, subject to contract and subject to the approval of the Directors of the WICB. In November 2003 Cable and Wireless produced a draft contract, which was rejected by WICB since conditions and provisions not discussed nor agreed during negotiations had been included. The WICB on December 5, 2003, wrote to Cable and Wireless and advised they were invoking Clause 14.2 of the Agreement with respect to going to the market as there appeared to be a difference of opinion on the value of the sponsorship.

Following that letter these conditions and provisions were withdrawn by Cable and Wireless during a meeting later in December 2003 but the WICB made it clear to Cable and Wireless that they would continue with the process of going to the market with Cable and Wireless retaining the right to match competing bids. After having withdrawn from the process as indicated in its letter of March 16, Cable and Wireless subsequently presented a verbal request to the WICB to amend their last offer of US $10.95 million. However it was pointed out to Cable and Wireless that discussions with representatives of the rival bidder were well advanced and were being conducted in good faith. The Board considered it inappropriate to re-open negotiations with Cable and Wireless.