No agreement

ST GEORGE’S: A settlement to the sponsorship row that has rocked West Indies cricket in recent weeks seems in sight. Grenada Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, chairman of Caricom’s Sub-Committee on Cricket, believes the stakeholders involved in the dispute now have a way forward after meeting with him in the capital of the Spice Isle yesterday. “We can’t say we have reached a conclusion, but we have made considerable progress in terms of understanding the exact position of the parties and we are now able to define the exact areas of differences,” Dr Mitchell told reporters outside Government Headquarters. “I promised them that I would contact the other Prime Ministers, who would be involved in this process, and before Thursday we will be in touch with all the parties to inform them of how we see things and the exact solution we are offering to reach an amicable solution.”

Dr Mitchell outlined the main purpose for yesterday’s four-hour dialogue with officials from the West Indies Cricket Board, the West Indies Players’ Association, Digicel and Cable and Wireless was to establish a way forward to resolve the issues in light of the contents of the WICB/Digicel contracts, and the ensuing conflicts with individual sponsorships from C&W.   “This would allow for the proper funding of West Indies cricket through sponsorship,” a fatigued Dr Mitchell said.  “We would be able to provide the healthy atmosphere for the implementation of the 2007 ICC World Cup. They are all fully aware that if this thing is not settled it can affect the World Cup. “We also want to have the players receiving sufficient resources equal to their expertise, and at the same time, want the sponsors to realise a positive benefit from their commitment to West Indies cricket.”

In a brief opening statement, Dr Mitchell had urged all parties to work toward compromises, rather than hardened positions in the interest of West Indies cricket and the people of the region. The Grenada PM again emphasised this point following the meeting. “We want to be able to reach an amicable solution, so that this region can breathe a sigh of relief, and we can use cricket as a serious opportunity for advertising the region and our economy,” he said.  “We would not be exerting all this effort, if an amicable resolution was not our objective. It is the objective of everyone in this region. We want the best team out there in the field to play against South Africa and Pakistan.  “It’s not going to come easy, clearly. There are some very deep issues. Hanging over everybody’s head was that this is not just about cricket.

It’s about the economic interests of the region, and the investment many of the countries are undertaking. If this is not solved, it would nullify the investment we are making, and we cannot afford it at all.” President Teddy Griffith, Chief Executive Officer Roger Brathwaite, and Grenada Cricket Board President and WICB director attended the meeting on behalf of the sports governing body. President and CEO Dinanath Ramnarine, Secretary Desmond Haynes, industrial relations advisor David Abdullah, and attorney-at-law Roland Hussein appeared for WIPA. Digicel was represented by Chairman Dennis O’Brien, while C&W sent Executive Vice President East Caribbean Paul Aspen, Vice President Legal and Regulatory Lisa Agard, Senior Vice President Marketing Caribbean Region Rachelle Franklin, and Grenada General Manager Ian Blachard. Edward Green, assistant secretary general of Caricom, also attended the meeting. (CMC)