Door opens for Windies ‘seven’

BRIDGETOWN: The West Indies Cricket Board opened the door yesterday for captain Brian Lara and six other stars to be considered for the upcoming home series against South Africa and Pakistan. The WICB ruled the seven ineligible a week ago for having endorsement contracts with Cable and Wireless in conflict with the board’s chief sponsor, and telecommunications rival, Digicel.

But the board acknowledged receiving the seven individual contracts on Friday, and was examining them to make sure that they would not cause the players or WICB to be in breach of the US$20 million deal with Digicel.  The WICB revealed that the 22 other players invited by the  selectors had committed their availability by Friday’s deadline ensuring “the tours to the Caribbean by South Africa and Pakistan  will proceed as planned.”  They said that the selectors would pick a squad for the First Test, which begins on March 31, by next Thursday and that the players would assemble for a pre-tour camp in Barbados on March  23.
 
“The board’s primary consideration is what is best for West Indies cricket and its future,” the statement said. “Therefore, in the board’s view, the basis of discussion has to be to field the best team in the circumstances and not the best team at all costs.” Meanwhile, Digicel rejected Caribbean political leaders’ proposals for a solution to the four-month-old dispute.

Digicel said recommendations by the Caricom Prime Ministers Sub-Committee on Cricket, including limiting the players’ connection to cricket in Cable and Wireless advertisements, would  not protect Digicel’s multimillion dollar investment in West  Indies cricket. “This was conveyed to the committee last Monday, as this will only allow continued ambush marketing by Cable and Wireless of the title sponsorship rights that Digicel have in their contract  with the WICB,” Digicel said in a statement late on Friday. Cable and Wireless were reluctant to endorse all of the Sub-Committee’s recommendations, because they threatened to undermine their sponsorship of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.