Lara: Negative cloud over WI

WEST INDIES captain Brian Lara, one of the main players in the current impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board yesterday issued a statement advocating a speedy resolution to the crisis. The upcoming tours by South Africa and Pakistan are in the balance after WICB president Teddy Griffith on Friday announced that six leading players would not be picked for the upcoming tours since they hold personal endorsement contracts with Cable and Wireless.

Griffith said the personal endorsement contracts do not allow the players to fulfil their obligation to rival telecommunications pro-viders Digicel who are the new WI team sponsors. Yesterday Lara said he prepared the statement on Wednesday March 2 and prior to it being issued, he read it to Chief Executive Officer of WICB, Roger Braithwaite. Lara stated on the morning of Thursday, March 3, he read it to Teddy Griffith, president of WICB who confirmed he had no problem with the statement’s content.

“Later that day, as the result of positive indications pertaining to resolution of the matter from Dr Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, I decided not to issue the statement. I now consider that the statement should enter into the public record and be available to all concerned. I feel very sad with the present situation but have great faith in the proceedings scheduled for St George’s, Grenada on Monday March 07, 2005,” Lara stated. Lara’s statement reads: “As captain of the West Indies cricket team, and as an individual who has his own personal life and reputation to be concerned about, I am naturally very worried with the negative cloud that hangs over West Indies cricket at the moment, especially as the South Africans arrive in the Caribbean in three weeks time.

“People everywhere, in all walks of life, keep telling me, ‘Brian, do something,’ and I agonise over what exactly I can do to ease the situation.  Believe me, if anyone can show me the solution and I felt I could influence a major change, I would respond like a shot. “There are five parties directly involved in the overall problem —  1 WICB; 2 Digicel; 3 the players themselves including me; 4 C&W and 5 WIPA.  But this is not simply a regional cricket problem.  It involves governments, economics and the opinions and judgments of the cricket world at large. “To say nothing about shifting much needed energy, attention and focus away from World Cup 2007.  The effects are both immediate and far-reaching if we do not find a way to go forward immediately.

“Brian Lara does not have the answer for all other parties, but it seems to me that the solution lies in a willingness to communicate professionally with a philosophy of ‘give and take’.  The time has long passed where any one party can say, ‘I am only taking and not giving’. “We all have to admit that in everyday life, we do and say things that we would do and say differently, if we had another chance.  I suggest a lot of sincere apologies —  private apologies —  would pave that way forward, and once an apology is offered, let the issue be dropped once and for all. “If it is felt that I owe someone an apology, even if maybe I feel I was right, let me try to understand the other point of view and apologise for the negative perception created.  The same for every one involved.  What has happened has happened.  We cannot re-write history, but we can learn from it.

“Seldom is one party 100 percent correct and the other zero percent. Even 99 percent to one percent opens the door for dialogue and as we know, ‘Dialogue is miraculous.’  When people talk, miracles happen; when they do not talk, then the world has to guess and they often guess wrong. “It is possible that because I am the WI captain; because I was appointed and am employed by WICB; because I am sponsored as a player by Digicel; because I am sponsored as a private individual by C&W; and because I am a member of WIPA that my multi-faceted role may allow me the privilege of opening a door or two, even if slightly. 

“I am more than willing to do this if called upon by any or all the participating parties.  If I can help, I am prepared to speak to anyone, anywhere and at any time, but I suggest with respect, that positive action is needed now. Time is not on our side and hatchets have to be buried with haste if indeed there are hatchets to be buried. “Let us sit and dialogue with goodwill and sensitivity and generosity of thought.  Let us admit there is something called ‘another point of view’ which deserves respect and should be listened to, even if we disagree. “If someone is proven wrong, let us create a back door for him so he can exit with dignity; because if there is no back door, his only course is to fight back.  Let us not delight in making others squirm by humiliating or embarrassing them in public.  Let us do everything to create a win/win situation and prevent a lose/lose situation.  In my frank opinion, it will be one of the two.  I do not think a win/lose result will go down well.

“I have one last request, namely that the media and the public understand that what has to take place will do so in gradual steps.  Let us not expect overnight results but aim for overnight progress.  One step forward every day will get us there eventually.  One step forward and two steps backward is not the way to go. “Let every one of every religion pray that the parties are granted the wisdom, strength and courage to do what is best for cricket and the Caribbean people.”