WICB distances itself from Stanford
In a bluntly worded statement, the West Indies Cricket Board has said uncategorically that it "does not depend on Mr. Allen Stanford for its financial well-being".
WICB President Julian Hunte made no bones of the fact that "to date, the WICB has received only US$2Million from the Stanford Group as licence fees for the first two years of a five-year agreement for the Group to host the domestic Stanford 20/20 Tournament."
This comes in response to the Antigua-based Texas billionaire closing his cricket office, dissolving his board of Legends, and announcing that he is reviewing the 2008 Stanford 20/20 programme. The Stanford press release cites the disputes between itself, West Indies sponsor Digicel, and the WICB as the reason for the review.
Hunte went on to point out "the Stanford Group has also been dealing directly with four territorial Boards, the member associations of the Windward and Leeward Islands and not with the WICB by way of financing aspects of the respective associations Development Programmes."
There has been mixed reaction to the involvement of Allen Stanford in West Indies cricket since his dramatic entrance in 2007. Guyana cricket boss and WICB director Chetram Singh was somewhat equivocal, saying "it has pulled a lot of people in to the game and a lot of territories benefited from the money to buy equipment and renovate their grounds and hire coaches and so on," but going on to add "I don't think it is doing any good for the larger part of the game. In the Guyana youth teams, everyone wants to learn to swipe the ball so they can get into the Stanford 20/20 team."
In addition to the October standoff between Stanford and Digicel, which left the WICB looking on rather helplessly, Stanford now appears to have further troubles as Stanford University has filed a lawsuit claiming infringement of trademark copyright.
Meanwhile, Stanford seems to be eyeing the more lucrative English market following his Stanford 20/20 for 20, and the ECB has stated that he has confirmed that he is still committed to a Stanford All-Stars vs England match in 2009.