TTCB – News

Cricketers urged to exercise T20 caution
November 1, 2011

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) has issued a cautious reminder  to national cricketers to be always mindful of the rules and regulations governing their participation in unauthorized competitions  as they seek to maximize their earning potential in the wake of their success on the international  stage most recently at the 2011 Nokia Champions League T20 in India.

The T&T team once again proved to be a huge hit in India with their “never say die” attitude and the excitement they brought to the game, but now there is a concern by the T&TCB that  the “Red Force” brand could be undermined if the cricketers do not exercise due diligence.

The warning comes on the heels of interest shown by teams as far away as Sri Lanka in having several T&T stars play in their domestic T20 competitions which was ensure their profile is kept  at a high level which will go a long way in enhancing the T&T brand worldwide.

And although the T&T Cricket Board is fully supportive of the players’ right to ply their trade,  the national cricketers have been urged to be guided by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regulations  concerning participation in unauthorized competitions organized by private organisations.

The lure for cricketers who are enticed to participate in hastily arranged but lucrative T20 tournaments was highlighted last year when a  team comprising several top T&T cricketers was prohibited from competing in a private tournament in Florida, USA. 

The T&TCB has stressed that permission must be first received by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) before any cricket tournament is staged in the region and failure to do so will result in severe penalties  on the territorial board, the cricketers and the promoters/organisers.

According to the WICB’s  policy “Responsibility and Approval for Cricket in the West Indies,” the minimum penalties for staging an unauthorized competition range from disqualification of the territorial board  from staging international matches for two years to the banning of individual cricketers who participate from official matches and events for one year.  

Also the promoters and/or organisers of such unapproved competitions could be disqualified from hosting similar events for a period of up to three years.

The WICB document,  to which all territorial boards in the region adhere to, also lists the different types of competitions that have been pre-approved by the regional body and also outlines the procedure for submitting requests for approval for cricket tournaments.

It states that an application for approval must be made in writing to the WICB not less than 30 days  in advance of the scheduled start of the match or event.  The WICB, however, makes provision for exceptional circumstances, to consider applications received in less than the stipulated time.

Dr Allen Sammy, executive member  of the T&T Cricket Board and a Director of the WICB said on Tuesday that cricketers who do not observe the established rules and regulations risk running afoul of the WICB and the ICC, world governing body for cricket.

He said the T&T Cricket Board  is responsible for all domestic cricket and the territorial board must ensure that approval is sought from the West Indies Cricket Board for any competition played in its jurisdiction.