Windies, Bangladesh Test on
July 8, 2009

The First Test match between the West Indies and Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale Recreation Ground in St Vincent, which was placed in jeopardy because of a strike by the regional players, will go on today as scheduled.

This was revealed by Dave Cameron, vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at a news conference held at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. However, Cameron revealed that a 'second string’ team will be in action against the tourists.

He also stated that the 14 players who were originally selected for the opening Test could face disciplinary action for breach of the Memorandum of Understandng and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association.

Cameron stated that the current state of affairs started with the non-appearance of the West Indies cricket team at the Ticket Launch of the ICC WT 2020 last Saturday in St Lucia, followed by the decision on Tuesday on the part of the players that they will be unavailable for the First Test today.

He added that the WICB has been publicly criticised in the past for its reluctance in disclosing information relating to the operations of the secretariat in general and relations with WIPA and the players in particular.

“ While we admit that the board represents all its stakeholders across the region, it also has to be mindful of its own responsibilities in contracting with its sponsors and commercial partners. To our own detriment at times, we have sought to negotiate with WIPA in good faith and not in the full glare of the media, for obvious reasons,” Cameron said.

He stated, concerning the Retainer Contracts, the players have, for a number of reasons, been playing for the last two years without contracts being signed on time.

“ While this is not a preferred position, we have nevertheless at all times honoured all our obligations under the Retainer Contracts and the Match and Tour Contracts, as well as our obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the WICB and WIPA,” Cameron added.

He said that the primary reason, in the board’s view, for the non-signing of the contracts has been the intransigence and the unreasonable behaviour displayed by WIPA on each occasion.

“ Each and every year since the contracts were agreed, WIPA has wanted to make changes to the standard agreed form, and they are not prepared to agree on any contracts unless the changes demanded by them are incorporated.

In respect of the retainer contracts for the 2008/2009 period, the WICB has been trying unsuccessfully since September 2008 to have discussions with WIPA.

In fact, when WIPA refused despite our several requests to convene discussions in this regard, the WICB in February 2009 forwarded contracts to the players for their signature. Only sixteen players signed, these excluded most of the senior players on the team,” Cameron further stated.

He said that the most recent change requested by WIPA -re the Retainer Contracts, is to include as a party to such contracts, a company called WIPMACOL, a WIPA subsidiary (West Indies Player Managenent Company Limited), which it claimed is now the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights of the players,” Cameron stated.

He said that WICB and WIPA did agree on amounts of the Retainer Fees at a meeting held in St Lucia on April 2, 2009, but since that meeting subsequent developments (of which WIPA was informed), led the board to determine that it could not afford to offer retainer contracts beyond those already issued.

“ We currently have 16 players on Retainer Contracts and they are paid monthly as the provisions thereof,” Cameron stated.

Cameron said that concerning injury payments, since meeting with WIPA on March 25, 2009, a process was initiated for the submission of players’ injury claims and to date, only one player, Fidel Edwards, has submitted a claim relating to the Abu Dhabi series and this has been settled.

“ About the Bangladesh Series, we have always understood from WIPA that there was no issue on the fees which have already been agreed. Additionally, at a meeting between WICB and WIPA as recently as last week, CEO and President of WIPA, Dinanath Ramnarine, assured us that there was absolutely no issue concerning this series. So we are more than a little surprised at WIPA’s suggestion that this series is in contention,” Cameron stated.

He said that the WICB received a total of US$2m for the UK Away Tour 2009, which was a re-schelued tour as it replaced the 2010 tour to the UK.

And President of the WICB Julian Hunte confirmed that the opening Test between West Indies and Bangladesh would go ahead as planned today at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

With most of the first choice team expected to sit out the match, West Indies are expected to field an under-strength team for the first of two Tests.

A planned meeting is slated for today between WIPA and the WICB in Port-of-Spain. And late yesterday evening, three members of the original 14-man-squad - T&T’s Adrian Barath and Jamaicans - Andrew Richardson and Brendan Nash were searching frantically for a flight out of Kingstown.